DR Congo women march against sexual violence from the BBC

The Democratic Republic of Congo's first lady has led thousands of women on a march against sexual violence.


Olive Lembe Kabila headed the rally in the town of Bukavu in the east of the country, where Congolese and foreign armed groups have operated for years.

Last week, the UN said government troops were raping and killing women in the same villages where hundreds were raped by rebels in July and August.

The country's defence minister has denied any soldiers were involved.

On Friday, the head of the UN mission in DR Congo, Monusco, said an estimated 15,000 people had been raped there last year.

'Regaining dignity'

The demonstration led by Mrs Lembe Kabila saw thousands of women walk through the streets of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

Many of them carried banners with slogans such as "No to sexual terrorism", according to the AFP news agency.

"Coming here is important because violence towards women is used systematically as a weapon of war," said Miriam Nobre of World March of Women, which organised the march.

Nene Rukunghu, a doctor at a hospital in Bukavu, said the international community finally seemed interested in DR Congo's problems.

"We must fight against impunity, so that the perpetrators of violence are punished, to allow women to regain their dignity. Despite what they endure, Congolese women are strong and able to stand up again."

Pirates seize South Korean fishing boat off Kenya from the BBC

A South Korean fishing boat with 43 sailors aboard has been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Kenya, South Korea's foreign ministry says.

The ministry said the crab fishing vessel was seized off Lamu Island on 9 October.
South Korean media reported the boat had been taken to a pirate stronghold in northern Somalia.
Kidnapping for ransom is common in Somalia, which has had no effective government for two decades.

In a statement, South Korea's foreign ministry said it was investigating the incident and had set up an emergency team at its embassy in Kenya.

The statement did not say if contact with the pirates had been made or if a ransom had been demanded.
South Korea has a warship on anti-piracy patrol in the waters of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

The area is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, leading to the Suez Canal.
European naval officers fighting piracy in the waters warned earlier in October that pirates would likely be more desperate with the onset of the piracy season as their success rate was declining.

The European Union's naval force, Navfor, estimates that the pirates' success ratio - the number of successful hijackings versus the number attempted - has dropped from 50% a few years ago to 20-30% this year because of international patrols.

The patrols have forced the pirates to range a wider area of the Indian Ocean in search of targets.
But Navfor also warned that hostages are being held for a longer period on average and that ransoms being demanded - and paid - are breaking new records.

Brother of Nigeria militant Henry Okah arrested from the BBC

Charles Okah, the brother of Nigerian militant Henry Okah, has been arrested in Lagos on suspicion of aiding two deadly car bombings in the capital, Abuja, security sources say.


The attacks on 1 October during celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence killed at least 12 people.

Henry Okah was detained in South Africa after the blasts and is facing terrorism charges.

He formerly led militants Mend, who say oil wealth must be fairly distributed.

The group be now leads is believed to have split from the main Mend - the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta - which signed an agreement with the government last year to end years of unrest in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

Pseudonym

One security source told Associated Press that Charles Okah was detained during a raid on his home in Lagos on Saturday.

Continue reading the main story

Henry Okah

Grew up in wealthy Lagos family

1990s: Sold guns in Lagos

2003: Moved to South Africa

Seen as man behind Mend's media-savvy e-mail strategy


2007: Arrested on gun-running charges in Angola

2008: Extradited to Nigeria

2009: Freed under amnesty the day after Mend staged first attack on Lagos

2010: Charged in South Africa over Abuja car bombing

Seen as man behind Mend's media-savvy e-mail strategy

"[He] has been mentioned... by suspects with us as a source of funds for the blast. He is with us in Abuja," the source said.

Charles Okah is also suspected of distributing information on behalf on Mend.

Charles Okah used the pseudonym Jomo Gbomo "to threaten and cause confusion" in emailed statements, the sources said.

An email warning of another bomb attack in Abuja was sent on Saturday and signed Jomo Gbomo, Reuters news agency quoted the sources as saying.

Henry Okah left Nigeria for South Africa after being freed from prison in July 2009.

He has denied links to the Abuja blasts but prosecutors say he was the mastermind.

Mend had issued a threat saying it intended to target the independence event in Abuja shortly before the two bombs went off, about five minutes apart.

DR Congo troops in rape and murder claim from the BBC

A UN envoy says government troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) might have committed rape and murder.


The special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Margot Wallstrom, said UN peacekeepers there had information suggesting soldiers had committed such abuses.

The alleged attacks are said to have occurred in the same place where rebels carried out mass rapes just weeks ago.

Ms Wallstrom urged the government to investigate the allegations.

She was briefing the Security Council on her visit to North Kivu province.

After the mass rapes in July and August came to light, UN peacekeepers based just 20 miles (32km) away were criticised for not responding quickly enough.

Analysis

Barbara Plett

BBC UN correspondent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A dead rat is worth more than the body of a woman." That's the quote from a rape victim with which Margot Wallstrom began her report to the Security Council.

She also described communities reeling with shock after the rapes of elderly women, which shattered social taboos.

The reality is that eastern DR Congo itself is shattered, with both rebels and government troops preying on civilians. In such a context of lawlessness, what can be done?

Much has been said about improving the performance of UN peacekeepers who failed to respond to the mass rapes in July and August. But even at best they are not a substitute for a functioning government.

Ms Wallstrom's strategy has been to press for holding militia leaders accountable under international law. She therefore made much of the recent arrests of two rebel commanders, including one on a warrant from the International Criminal Court, calling this an important precedent which gave victims a "glimmer of hope."

About 300 civilians and more than 50 children in the Walikale region were raped by the rebels - many of them in front of their families and neighbours.

Ms Wallstrom blamed the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Mai-Mai militia.

The attacks had focused international attention on the endemic sexual violence in Congo and UN failures to deal with it.

Since then, Ms Wallstrom said government troops (FARDC) had been deployed to the territory to reassert control and to implement the president's moratorium on mining in the area, which is rich in minerals.

The UN special representative heard directly from locals on her visit last week and said UN peacekeepers in the area had also told her of rapes, killings and lootings perpetrated recently by government soldiers.

She urged the DRC government to investigate the new attacks and "swiftly hold any perpetrators to account".

"The possibility that the same communities that were brutalised in July and August are now also suffering exactions at the hands of the FARDC troops is unimaginable and unacceptable," she said.

The BBC's United Nations correspondent, Barbara Plett, says Ms Wallstrom's warning underlines the enormous difficulty of protecting civilians in a region overrun by rebel groups, with an army made up of former militias.

The UN Security Council also heard a call for sanctions against a Rwandan Hutu commander known as "Colonel Serafim" who the special representative says is among those responsible for the July and August attacks.

Ms Wallstrom welcomed the recent arrests of two rebel leaders, saying this should serve as a warning that sexual violence would not be tolerated.

Four African nations crack down on LRA from the BBC

Four African nations have agreed to form a joint military force to fight Lord's Resistance Army rebels, the African Union says.


It says the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Uganda will form a brigade to pursue the militants.

The LRA, which originated in Uganda 20 years ago, has recently mounted deadly attacks in all four countries.

It now targets towns some 1,000km (600 miles) away from Uganda, the UN says.

The latest LRA attack was in the Central African Republic's northern town of Birao last Sunday, said Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The spokesman said the rebels reportedly abducted young girls, looted property and set shops on fire.

He added that the LRA had already carried out more than 240 deadly attacks this year, killing at least 344 people.

Border patrols

The action plan to fight the LRA was agreed at Friday's high-level meeting in Bangui - the capital of the Central African Republic, the AU said in a statement. The statement did not mention figures, but a brigade is commonly though to include at least 1,000 men.

Ministers from the four countries affected by LRA attacks decided to establish the joint brigade - which would be backed by the AU - to go after the rebels.

They said they would also set up a joint operations centre, which would facilitate the exchange of information and intelligence.

The plan also envisages joint border patrols. All this would be co-ordinated by a special AU representative.

A diplomatic source contacted by the BBC says the plan also relies on Nigeria and South Africa - the only two African nations that have the logistical capacity to bring the plan to fruition.

This announcement is the first step towards the long-awaited creation of a mobile brigade that the AU can call on in times of trouble, the BBC World Service's Africa editor Martin Plaut says.

He says that although the AU statement only mentions the LRA, there are suggestions that this brigade could provide a blueprint for cross-border operations against al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which is currently plaguing areas of Mali and Mauritania.

Sudan objects to UN plans for new border troops from the BBC

The Sudanese government has said the UN cannot move new troops to its tense North-South border without its consent.


It comes after the UN's peacekeeping chief said troops would be sent to "hotspots" at the request of the semi-autonomous South's president.

There is growing tension in the country in the run-up to a referendum on Southern independence due to be held in January, correspondents say.

The referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal that ended the civil war.

On Friday, UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said the UN force would increase its presence along the 2,000km (1,250 mile) border.

He said the increase would be limited to "hotspots" and that the UN could not create a full "buffer zone" between the regions.

Officials at the UN said the decision had been made following an appeal from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, who was concerned the North was preparing for war.

But President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's security adviser, Salah Gosh, rejected the plan, saying troops could not be deployed without the consent of the government.

Ibrahim Ghandour, another leading politician in Mr Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP), said any tension in the region could be sorted out between the two sides, so a buffer zone between North and South was not necessary.

The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says there has been a surge in inflammatory statements in recent weeks in Sudan, as the referendum approaches.

There is also a huge argument about who can vote in a second referendum, in which the oil-producing region of Abyei will decide on whether to join the North or the South, our correspondent adds.

Sudan is divided between the mainly Muslim and Arab-speaking North, and the South, where most people are Christian or follow traditional religions.

Many in Sudan are concerned the ongoing tensions around the referendum will see the country return to civil war.

The last North-South conflict lasted two decades and left two million people dead.

Zambia probes shooting of workers at China-run mine from the BBC

Zambian police are investigating claims that managers at a Chinese-run coal mine in the south of the country shot and wounded at least 11 miners.


Reports say the Chinese managers had opened fire on Friday because they felt threatened by miners who protested about their working conditions.

No-one has been charged so far after the shooting at the Collum mine.

China has invested heavily in the Zambian economy but this has led to some worker resentment.

In 2006, an opposition presidential candidate campaigned openly on an anti-foreigner platform and did well in areas where the Chinese presence was most visible.

Police pledge

"The workers were protesting against the poor working conditions when managers using shotguns started to shoot aimlessly, not in the air," Zambian police spokesman Ndandula Siamana told the AFP news agency.

"It's possible that the managers feared that they might be attacked but we shall ensure that the culprits are brought to book," he said.

The spokesman added that the injured Zambian miners were currently being treated at a hospital in the town of Sinazongwe.

The management of the Collum mine has so far made no public comment about the incident.

Last year China invested more than $400m (£350m) in Zambia's mining industry, and Chinese investments in the county are continuing to grow.

Save the Children calls for release of Somalia hostage from the BBC

Save the Children has called for the unconditional and immediate release of a British security consultant who was kidnapped in Somalia.


The consultant, and a local worker, who was later freed unharmed, were seized in Adado near the Ethiopian border.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "The other man abducted at the same time - a British national who was born in Zimbabwe - remains captive."

She said the charity was extremely concerned for his welfare.

She added: "The two men were working with Save the Children whilst the agency carried out a feasibility assessment into setting up a programme to help sick and malnourished children and their families in the area."

She added the charity, which has been working in the country for more than 40 years, had not yet been contacted by the group behind the kidnapping.

Masked gunmen

The BBC's Mohamed Mwalimu had earlier said the kidnapping came amid fierce fighting involving tanks and heavy artillery around the town of Adado.

The security consultant had gone to the area to see if it was safe enough for Save the Children to set up a new base to help malnourished and sick children, along with their families.

But on Thursday evening, a group of masked gunmen stormed the building used as a staff residence.

High walls and a heavy steel gate reportedly forced the kidnappers to climb in through a window before they fled with their hostages into an area said to be controlled by the hardline Islamist group al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda.

Adado is also closely linked to pirate groups who routinely take ships and crew hostage and demand hefty ransoms.

Until now, Adado had been seen as a relatively stable part of Somalia, with aid groups considering relocating there after being forced out of more volatile regions.

Several foreigners have been kidnapped in Somalia in recent years.

Most have been freed unhurt after a ransom has been paid.

Robert Mugabe: Zimbabwe unity deal should end next year from the BBC

Zimbabwe's president has said a power-sharing deal which expires in four months' time should not be extended.


Robert Mugabe said the country should hold a referendum on a new constitution early in 2011 and then elections.

He said he was reluctant to renegotiate the unity deal as some events happening in the coalition were "foolish".

Mr Mugabe has been sharing power with rival Morgan Tsvangirai since last year, under a deal worked out after disputed 2008 elections.

"Some will say let us negotiate and give it another life. I am reluctant because part of the things that are happening [in the coalition] are foolish," Mr Mugabe said in comments broadcast on state television.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai last week said he was disgusted with Mr Mugabe and earlier this week suggested that Zimbabwe's ambassadors should not be recognised by foreign governments.

Wrangling

Under their accord, the two politicians agreed to draw up a new constitution followed by a referendum and then fresh elections.

But Mr Mugabe expressed frustration with constant wrangling within the coalition government, saying the lifespan of the political accord had reached its end.

"February next year, which is about four months to go, then it will have lived its full life and I do not know what is going to happen if we are not ready with a constitution," Mr Mugabe said.

Though the power-sharing pact does not specify how long the coalition government should last, it gives a 24-month timetable for the crafting of a new constitution seen as crucial for free and fair elections.

The process of reforming the existing constitution is already almost a year behind schedule, delayed by a lack of funds and disagreement over the composition of committees.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in Johannesburg, says that with Mr Mugabe's patience in coalition government clearly running thin, his statement has raised the possibility that Zimbabwe might vote without a new constitution in place.

The country has once more suspended its public outreach programme on a new constitution due to funding problems.

The public meetings were put on hold last month after a supporter of Mr Tsvangirai was killed during a meeting.

Mr Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change, has accused the president of violating their agreement by unilaterally appointing ambassadors.

On Wednesday mediators from South Africa travelled to Harare to try to resolve the disagreement.

Guinea junta blames Toumba Diakite for massacre from the BBC

A renegade Guinean soldier was solely responsible for massacring protesters at a rally last September, an inquiry backed by the ruling junta has said.

The probe blamed Lt Aboubakar Toumba Diakite - a soldier who shot and wounded junta leader Capt Moussa Dadis Camara last December.

It cleared Capt Camara of involvement - contradicting the findings of an earlier UN inquiry.

Capt Camara is still recovering from the shooting in Burkina Faso.

The BBC's West Africa correspondent Caspar Leighton says with so many other inquiries arriving at conclusions contrary to this one, many people will not take it seriously.

Leader absolved

Human rights groups say that at least 157 activists were killed and dozens of women raped during a pro-democracy rally at football stadium on 28 September last year.

ANALYSIS

Caspar Leighton

BBC News

With so much recorded testimony that runs counter to this latest assessment, it is unlikely that many will take it too seriously.

The United Nations sent an investigation team which said more than 150 people were killed, with dozens raped and assaulted. It judged that Capt Camara and two others - Lt Diakite and Major Moussa Tiegboro Camara - bore responsibility for the killings.

The Guinean military commission says of the three, only Lt Diakite is responsible, along with an unidentified number of the presidential guard and others. The commission says 63 people died, far fewer than other Guinean and international findings.

Analysis: Army loses its swagger

Lt Diakite, in hiding since the shooting, previously told French radio that he shot Capt Camara because he feared the military leader was trying to blame him for the massacre.

Prosecutor Siriman Kouyate, head of the Guinean commission of inquiry, laid the blame squarely on the renegade soldier.

"Lt Toumba Diakite and a group of red berets from the presidential guard were responsible for the rapes, murders, injuries and mysterious disappearance of bodies," he said.

Mr Kouyate said Lt Diakite should face justice because he had disobeyed orders that the army should stay in the barracks.

He added that Capt Camara was "responsible for nothing".

"It has been established that the president did not go to the stadium."

The Guinean commission said that 58 people had died at the stadium and another five in hospital, according to the AFP news agency.

The commission also called for an amnesty for the opposition leaders who called for the pro-democracy protest.

These include veteran opposition leader Jean-Marie Dore, who was last month sworn in as prime minister, tasked with steering the country towards an election in six months' time.

Sudan: Kenya 'Conduit' of Weapons As South 'Arms Race' Begins from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — Kenya has been named in a report by a Swiss research institute as the conduit for many of the weapons transferred to Southern Sudan government forces in violation of a peace agreement strongly backed by the United States.

The Sudan Human Security Baseline Assessment, which is a multi-year research project administered by the Small Arms Survey - an independent research project of the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies - reported that satellite imagery has confirmed the presence at Southern Sudan military headquarters of tanks that arrived at the port of Mombasa in 2008.

These T-72 tanks were part of three weapons shipments from Ukraine "ostensibly consigned to the Kenyan Ministry of Defence" but that were in fact under contract to the Government of Southern Sudan, according to the Small Arms Survey. In addition to tanks, the three shipments in 2007 and 2008 are said to include 122 mm vehicle-mounted rocket launchers, 14.5 mm machine guns, 23 mm anti-aircraft cannon, RPG-7 rocket launchers and AKM assault rifles.

Some of these arms transfers to South Sudan forces were facilitated by a Mombasa-based shipping agency run by a British national, the survey says. It does not name the agency.

The researchers warn that an "arms race" is underway in Sudan, with the national government in Khartoum and the SPLM-led government in the South both acquiring large quantities of weapons.

The East African

Insecurity

The United States is meanwhile warning that shipments of arms into Southern Sudan are heightening insecurity there in the run-up to a referendum that could result in the region's secession.

US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice did not directly answer a reporter's question last week about Kenya's reported involvement in this illicit arms trade. "In a region where you have porous borders," Ms Rice said in response, "there are undoubtedly weapons coming from all directions."

The US envoy added that the task now is to identify the principal source of the shipments and to answer the question, "Is this simply small arms trafficking of the sort that we see throughout the continent or is it actually a deliberate effort to sow instability?"

Ms Rice spoke with reporters following a January 26 UN Security Council meeting on developments in Sudan. She said UN officials had indicated that heavier weapons now appear to be reaching the South. Specific information on the shipments has not been provided, Ms Rice added.

Violence is escalating in Southern Sudan, which had been at war with Khartoum for 20 years. The UN reports that more than 2000 people were killed in clashes among tribal militias last year. Some of the incidents involved thousands of heavily armed attackers, the UN says.

International monitors worry that the 2005 peace agreement could break down in the coming months, leading to a resumption of the war that killed an estimated two million Sudanese. Tensions are growing as the antagonists prepare for a scheduled 2011 referendum in the South on the question of whether the region should claim independence."The international community appears completely unprepared to put out the fire that is likely to start in the event of a [peace treaty] breakdown," the Small Arms Survey says. "It has singularly failed to prevent ongoing weapons flows into this highly volatile environment to date."

The US government under George W Bush invested considerable diplomatic effort to bring about the peace agreement. And the Obama administration appears determined to prevent that achievement from coming undone.

The State Department has meanwhile contracted with private companies to help train South Sudan's armed forces. The US says that arrangement does not contravene the peace treaty, which forbids arms shipments to the South without the joint approval of its government and the Khartoum government.

Courtesy call

The Small Arms Survey report was made public as President Mwai Kibaki last week met Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir, who paid him a courtesy call at his Harambee House office in Nairobi.

At their meeting, President Kibaki said Kenya was committed to enhanced security along the two countries' common border through regular cross border meetings and other forms of security co-operation.

During the meeting which was also attended by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Presidential Press Service reports, President Kiir briefed President Kibaki on the progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was signed in Nairobi in January 2005.

President Kiir appreciated the role Kenya has continued to play during the entire peace process in Southern Sudan through immense support in various forms.

President Kibaki reassured the Southern Sudan delegation that Kenya, Igad and the AU would remain actively engaged in the successful implementation of the CPA due to the far reaching implications for the region's security.

Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang'ula was not available for comment but Assistant Minister for Internal Security Joshua Orua Ojode dismissed the report as "rumours" and demanded evidence. "The Kenya government does not trade in arms and respects the territorial integrity of other countries. But if there is evidence, we are ready to investigate," he said.

Nigeria: National Fuel Stock Runs Out in Seven Days - Major Crisis Looms from allAfrica.com

Lagos — A mega fuel scarcity, which could make the current and past ones look like a child's play, is looming following disclosure at the weekend that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the lone importer of the product, is running short of it.

Investigation showed that the national fuel stock will be depleted in seven days' time.

NNPC Spokesperson, Levi Ajuonuma, did not pick calls to his mobile telephone at the weekend.

A text message sent to the line was also not answered, but a source at the NNPC said an order has been placed, which would take not less than two weeks to arrive.

"Yes, they just gave out an order for February deliveries for 24 cargoes, which would start arriving from February 8. Current stock level/sufficiency is two weeks," the source said.

For the first time since the scarcity started over six weeks ago, the government has admitted that there is a wide gap in supply which the NNPC cannot fill.
Minister of State for Finance, Remi Babalola, disclosed at the weekend that the NNPC, which owes the government N450 billion, has cash flow hiccup.

He explained that the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) does not have a problem with the NNPC.

"There would be a problem if the debtor said it does not agree it was owing. But this is a debtor that has owned up, and has even spoken that there is no debate about the fact that it is owing N450 billion.


"The problem now, however, is the cash flow situation, and how it would be able to pay back the money," he stated.

Babalola was speaking to journalists at a workshop organised by the NNPC for members of the FAAC.

Minister of State for Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia, said in Lagos that since marketers stopped importation, the NNPC has tried hard to fill the gap without success.

He spoke at a meeting with oil marketers, depot owners, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

Somalia: Influx of IDPs And Refugees in Yemen Strains Local Economies from allAfrica.com

As Yemen faces increasing movement of refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDPs), local host communities are struggling to maintain their already fragile economic stability.

Refugees have been migrating to Yemen from Somalia and the horn of Africa since the collapse of Mohamed Siad Barre's regime in Somalia in 1991. Somalis make up the greatest proportion of refugees in Yemen with a population of 158,180 according the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Agency (UNHCR) in Yemen.

Meanwhile, IDPs have been fleeing the conflict between the Yemeni government and the Shia al-Houti rebels in the Sa'ada province in Northern Yemen since 2004. A recent spike in violence beginning in August 2009 has led to an increase in the IDP population, which UNHCR now estimates at 250,000.

Yemen is the only state party to the 1951 Refugee Convention in the Arabian Peninsula. The Refugee Convention defines refugees as people forced to leave their home country or country of residence for fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, or membership in a specific social or political group. The Convention mandates the recognition of rights of refugees including the right to education and work and travel documents. It also forbids refoulement, or the forceful repatriation of refugees to a country where they face threats to their safety or security. Yemen's location on the Gulf of Adan and the Red Sea, directly across from the Horn of Africa makes it a prime entry point for east African refugees.

Yet the high numbers of refugees are straining Yemen's already fragile economy. Rocco Nuri, Associate Reporting and External Relations Officer for UNHCR in Aden, Yemen described to MediaGlobal the enormity of the economic problem Yemen faces with the influx of refugees and IDPs. "Yemen, the poorest of the Arab states, with around 40 percent unemployment and 16 percent of the population living on less than one USD per day would have found itself in a more difficult position if the international community had not intervened with the provision of humanitarian assistance."

Andrej Mahecic, Senior Communications Officer for UNHCR in Geneva for East Asia and Pacific, Eastern Europe, Horn of Africa and Yemen, further elaborated to MediaGlobal on the conditions exacerbating the Yemeni government's difficulties dealing with the IDP and refugee populations. "Severe drought and food shortages, combined with the effects of the global financial downturn, have limited the government's ability to absorb the growing tide of refugees and migrants coming from the Horn of Africa as well as to meet all the needs of more than 200,000 internally displaced people affected by the conflict since 2004."

With an already unstable economy, Yemeni communities have struggled to accommodate displaced people into local systems. While some displaced people are living in camps, many have moved into towns individually or with family and friends. This creates housing instability as Marie Marullaz, UNHCR's Associate External Relations Officer for IDPs in Sana'a Yemen explained to MediaGlobal "In Amran Governorate, the situation is worrying where most of the IDPs reaching the area are seeking shelter with host communities or trying to rent houses. Faced with these challenges UNHCR and its implementing partners are providing tents to the displaced civilians in host communities to increase living space within housing compounds."

This influx of people has joined the economies of these communities, competing with locals for scarce jobs. Many refugees have responded to the job shortage by participating in income generating activities in the informal sector. Nuri told MediaGlobal, "The major challenge for refugees in Yemen is the very limited opportunity to engage in formal self reliance activities, with the vast majority of refugees working in the informal sector, as car washers, masons, electricians, cleaners, etcetera."

UNHCR has struggled to meet the needs of the growing population. Mahecic told MediaGlobal that UNHCR's budget, which floundered in 2007 at $4 million has increased to $28 million for 2010. But with budget increases aimed primarily at filling the gaps in basic services, such as food and shelter, more sustainable programs such as vocational training are only in the planning stages. UNHCR's work has also been hindered by increasing violence surrounding and aimed at international aid intervention. Many hurdles remain to securing stability and livelihoods for displaced people in Yemen and the Yemeni communities affected by their presence.

Kenya: Kibaki Asks UN to Help Address Refugee Crisis from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — The conflict in Somalia is posing a major security threat to Kenya, President Kibaki said on Sunday.

Speaking on the sidelines at the ongoing African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the President said the influx of refugees from the war-torn country had overstretched the country's limited resources.

The President called for greater cooperation between the government and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in addressing the refugee situation in the country.

The Head of State reassured the UN secretary-general, Mr Ban Ki-moon, that the security and safety of Nairobi-based UN personnel and offices remained a top priority for the government.

He also updated the UN secretary-general on the progress made in ushering in a new constitutional dispensation.

The President said the consensus reached by the Parliamentary Select Committee members showed that the country was on the verge of acquiring a new law.

He, however, acknowledged concerns raised by Mr Ban, saying there were outstanding issues that needed to be addressed, among them, the referendum law, the disputed 2008 census results, the national elections and the sharing of wealth.

The UN boss welcomed the progress made in the implementation of reforms and expressed optimism that the country would get a new constitution after the referendum scheduled for April this year.

The President assured Mr Ban of the government's commitment to the attainment of lasting peace in Sudan, saying Kenya was a guarantor of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Call for Central African Republic rebel torture probe from the BBC

Rights groups, opposition leaders and France have urged the Central African Republic to investigate claims that a rebel leader was tortured to death.

Charles Massi was apparently arrested in Chad in December and taken to CAR, where he died in custody in January.

His family have alleged he was tortured to death, but the government has denied the claims.

Former President Ange-Felix Patasse said the government must "shed light on this alarming case".

In a statement quoted by the AFP news agency, Mr Patasse said his call for an investigation did not mean he endorsed the rebels' cause.

He said he wanted to ensure the nation returned to peace before an election due in April.

Cause celebre

The BBC's Chris Simpson in the CAR capital Bangui says the government has attempted to dismiss Massi as a marginal figure who has taken no part in peace talks.

But in death, Massi has become something of a cause celebre among the opposition and has put the government in an awkward position, says our correspondent.

Massi was a senior political figure in the CAR and had two spells as a cabinet minister - including under Mr Patasse.

But in his mid-50s he turned to the rebel movement, surprising many of his friends and colleagues, our correspondent says.

His group, known as the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), had been blamed for several killings.

Government troops were also accused of rights abuses in the northern town of Sokumba last year, where they allegedly killed a number of civilians in an attempt to suppress the rebels.

In a statement last week, former colonial power France said it wanted clarity on Massi's death, arguing that nothing would justify his mistreatment.

Somali Islamists al-Shabab 'join al-Qaeda fight' from the BBC

Somali Islamist rebel group al-Shabab has confirmed for the first time that its fighters are aligned with al-Qaeda's global militant campaign.

The group said in a statement that the "jihad of Horn of Africa must be combined with the international jihad led by the al-Qaeda network".

Meanwhile, several people have died in fighting in Mogadishu after government troops shelled militant positions.

Islamist insurgents control much of southern and central Somalia.

The government, which is backed by the UN and African Union, holds sway only in a small part of Mogadishu.

Despite repeated accusations by the US that al-Shabab is linked to al-Qaeda, the group denied the connection in a recent interview with the BBC.

The BBC Somali service's Mohamed Mohamed says it is the first time the group has officially confirmed its fight is linked to al-Qaeda.

'Financer of terrorism'

The group's statement also announced that its militants had joined forces with a smaller insurgent group called Kamboni.

The group, based in the southern town of Ras Kamboni, was previously allied to Hizbul-Islam - another militant group fighting the government.

Kamboni is led by Hassan Turki, a militant the US accuses of being a "financer of terrorism".

Al-Shabab said it was trying to unite all Islamist forces to create a Muslim state under its hard-line interpretation of Sharia law.

The group, which controls swathes of Somalia, has carried out public beheadings and stonings.

'Human shields'

Meanwhile in Mogadishu reports said at least eight civilians were killed in fighting overnight.

"Our team collected eight bodies of civilians who were killed in the shelling and 55 others who were injured, some of them seriously," health official Ali Musa told the AFP news agency.

Militants had launched an artillery attack on the presidential compound, and government and African Union forces responded with several mortar shells.

AFP quoted an unnamed police official accusing the rebels of hiding in civilian areas and using "human shields".

Somalia has been wracked by violence for much of the past 20 years. It has not had a functioning central government since 1991.

ICC 'must probe Nigeria religious violence in Jos' from the BBC

A Nigerian rights group has urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate violence between Muslims and Christians in the city of Jos.

The group, known as Serap, wrote to ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asking him to open an inquiry into the deaths of 326 people in the riots.

The activists also want the army and police investigated over claims they used excessive force to restore order.

Muslims and Christians fought with each other for several days in January.

The official death toll was given by police as 326 - although other estimates are much higher, with Muslim officials saying that 364 Muslims were killed.

Christian leaders have not yet confirmed a death toll - although earlier estimates said around 65 Christians had died.

More than 300 people have been arrested.

'Too weak'

Lawyer Femi Falana wrote the letter to Mr Moreno-Ocampo, arguing that the ICC should step in because the government was unlikely to take action.

'Our homes were razed'

"Those who are suspected to be responsible for the latest violence and previous outbreaks of deadly violence in Jos have not been arrested let alone brought to justice," Mr Falana's letter stated.

"The government has shown itself to be too weak to act, contrary to its international legal obligations, including under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court."

Hundreds of people were killed in similar outbreaks of violence in Jos in both 2008 and 2001.

Meanwhile, the violence has soured relations between Plateau state, where Jos is located, and neighbouring Bauchi state.

Some MPs in the Bauchi legislature want all people from Plateau state to be sent back home.

Bauchi is mainly Muslim, while Plateau has a Christian majority.

The Bauchi MPs argue that the violence shows Plateau indigenes do not respect a Nigerian's constitutional right to live and work in anywhere in the country - therefore they should not enjoy such rights in other states.

The Plateau state government has called the move "childish" and "unfortunate".

Violence erupted in Jos on 17 January and rapidly spread to nearby villages.

Several thousand people remain displaced, having abandoned their homes to escape the violence.

Jos, the capital of Plateau state, lies between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south and has seen sectarian riots in the recent past.

But analysts say the real cause of the violence is a struggle for political superiority in the city.

Nigeria's oil pipeline sabotaged - Royal Dutch Shell from the BBC

Royal Dutch Shell has shut three oil flow stations in Nigeria's Niger Delta region after a pipeline was sabotaged, a company spokeswoman has said.

She said Saturday's leak on the Trans Ramos oil pipeline was confirmed "to have been caused by sabotage". The leak was later stopped.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

It came shortly after Nigeria's militant group Mend said it was ending the truce it declared last October.

An alleged group spokesman said Mend did not believe the government would restore control of resources to local people.

Mend has demanded that residents be given a greater share in profits from oil resources and land.

It warned oil companies to prepare for what it called an all-out onslaught against installations and personnel.

Analysts later said it was not immediately clear if this statement came from the whole of Mend - the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta - or just a faction that did not accept the offer of an amnesty from Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua.

Militants have carried out a series of attacks which have cost Nigeria millions in lost revenue over the years.

The attacks have meant that facilities in the area have been unable to work beyond two-thirds capacity, costing $1bn a month in lost revenue.

Africa: Ban Hits at AU Over Coups from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — UN chief Ban Ki-Moon on Sunday criticised power-grabs in Africa in a speech to the continent's leaders as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi reluctantly handed over the presidency of the African Union to Malawi.

The build-up to the three-day AU summit in Addis Ababa had been dominated by the expectation that Gaddafi would try to extend his 12-month tenure as head of the 53-member body.

On the first day of a summit in Addis Ababa, Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika was selected to succeed Gaddafi, even though diplomats said Gaddafi was seeking another term.

The Libyan leader used his farewell speech to again urge African leaders to begin the process of political unification, which was a large part of his agenda during his chairmanship.

He also criticised the AU for "tiring" him with long meetings and making declarations and reports without asking him.

"It was like we were building a new atomic bomb or something," he said, referring to meetings that had lasted long into the night and that he characterised as "really useless".

"The world's engine is turning into 7 or 10 countries and we are not aware of that," Gaddafi said, dressed in a white robe and black fur hat.

"The EU is becoming one country and we are not aware of it. We have to get united to be united. Let's be united today."

An African unity government is a goal of the AU's founding charter goal and Gaddafi, supported by leaders like Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade, has been pushing for union for years, saying it is the only way Africa can develop without Western interference.

But members, led by South Africa and Ethiopia, argue the plan is impractical and would infringe on sovereignty.

The Malawian leader promised to make battling hunger a top priority.

"Africa is not a poor continent but the people of Africa are poor," wa Mutharika said. "Achieving food security at the African level should be able to address the problem."

In recent years, Malawi has enjoyed bumper harvests following the introduction of a fertiliser and seed subsidy programme.

Although leaders fought over who would be chairman, they agreed on the need to support leaders of transitional governments in Somalia, Guinea and Sudan, and for tough action against feuding politicians ignoring AU directives in Madagascar.

The chairman of the AU commission, Jean Ping, said there would be unspecified consequences for parties that go it alone in resolving Madagascar's year-long political crisis. They have been given 15 days to respond to AU power-sharing proposals.

Mr Ban said the United Nations also would continue to provide financial support to AU peacekeepers in anarchic Somalia, as the conflict has a "direct bearing on global security".

An AU peacekeeping force of 5,000 -- provided by Burundi and Uganda -- is struggling to hold back Islamist rebels in Somalia. The AU has repeatedly asked for UN peacekeepers to bolster its efforts but has only been given funding.

The veteran Libyan leader's presidency of the body has been marked by his efforts to promote his vision of a "United States of Africa" -- a project that has made little progress during his 12 months in charge.

It has also prompted awkward questions about the continent's commitment to democracy, given the absence of free elections in Libya ever since Gaddafi took power in a bloodless coup in 1969.

Mr Ban expressed concern about what he called a recent resurgence of "unconstitutional" power changes in Africa and rapped attempts by incumbents to change the law in order to help them stay in office.

"The resurgence of unconstitutional changes of government in Africa is a matter of serious concern," said Mr Ban, the United Nations secretary general.

"We must also guard against the manipulation of established processes to retain power."

In an interview with AFP yesterday, Mr Ban put particular emphasis on the fate of Sudan, where tension has been mounting in the run-up to a 2011 referendum in which the south is widely expected to choose independence from Khartoum, only six years after signing a peace deal.

He called the situation prevailing in the western Sudanese province of Darfur "a serious situation which reflects and exposes our limitations".

"The UN has a big responsibility with the AU to maintain peace in Sudan and make unity attractive... "This year will be crucially important for Sudan with the election in three months and the referendum in a year," he said.

Gaddafi thwarted over African Union presidency from the BBC

Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi has failed in his bid to stay on as president of the African Union for another year.

At the annual AU summit in Ethiopia, leaders from 53 African countries chose the president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, to take his place.

A BBC correspondent at the summit says Col Gaddafi was very reluctant to stand down, causing considerable resentment.

He used his farewell speech to call for political unity in Africa.

Earlier UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged African leaders to work for national unity in Sudan to prevent the south seceding from the north.

Mr Ban said both the UN and AU had a big responsibility "to maintain peace in Sudan and make unity attractive".

A referendum is due next year on whether the oil-rich south should become independent.

Renewed efforts

Libya has chaired the AU for the past year, and under the system of rotating regional blocs, the job was due to go to a southern African leader.

However, Mr Gaddafi wanted to extend the term. He had the support of Tunisia, and is said to have won over some smaller countries by paying their AU membership dues.

Malawi was apparently backed solidly for the role by southern and eastern African countries.

Mr wa Mutharika was backed by southern African nations

The BBC's Uduak Amimo says the organisation needed a country chair with strong financial muscle, like Libya, but also needed to be seen to be respecting its own rules and processes.

After conceding the presidency, Mr Gaddafi said he would continue to promote his vision of a "United States of Africa", adding that he did not need to keep the title of AU head.

"My brother president of the Republic of Malawi will replace me and take over," he said.

"There is no need for any title, I'll remain in the front struggling."

The theme of the three-day AU summit in Addis Ababa is information and technology.

In an opening speech to the African leaders, Mr Ban called for renewed efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals, which include reducing poverty, disease and child mortality, ahead of their target date of 2015.

"We have seen a sharp decrease in malaria and measles deaths across the continent, virtual gains in primary school enrolment, marked improvement in child health," he said.

"We must build on these successes and help spread them around the world."

Heads of states will also be discussing, among other issues, the escalating violence in Somalia.

High tensions

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will accept the result of a referendum even if the south voted for independence.

Critical year ahead for Sudan

"Whatever the result of the [southern Sudan's] referendum we have to think how to manage the outcome," Mr Ban said in a joint interview with AFP and RFI radio.

"It is very important for Sudan but also for the region. We'll work hard to avoid a possible secession," he added.

Sudan's mainly Muslim north and the animist and Christian south ended a two-decade war in 2005 and joined a unity government.

But tensions remain high ahead of the country's first genuine multi-party national elections since 1986, due in April.

The south, which has a semi-autonomous government, is likely to vote to secede from the north in the 2011 referendum, correspondents say.

UN chief Ban urges Sudan unity ahead of African summit from the BBC

The UN secretary general has urged African leaders to work for national unity in Sudan to avoid the south of the country seceding from the north.

Ban Ki-moon's appeal comes as the African Union is due to hold its summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Mr Ban said both the UN and AU had a big responsibility "to maintain peace in Sudan and make unity attractive".

A referendum is due next year on whether the oil-rich south should become independent.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will accept the result of the poll even if the south voted for independence.

The theme of the three-day AU summit in Addis Ababa is information and technology.

But heads of states will also be discussing, among other issues, the escalating violence in Somalia and who will take over the AU chairmanship from Libya.

The position should go to Malawi, the choice of the southern African regional grouping, SADC.

But Libya wants to extend its one-year term and has Tunisia' s support.

With eastern and southern African countries apparently solidly behind Malawi, it could be a bruising contest for the AU chairmanship, writes the BBC's Uduak Amimo.

High tensions

"Whatever the result of the [southern Sudan's] referendum we have to think how to manage the outcome," Mr Ban said in a joint interview with AFP and RFI radio.

Critical year ahead for Sudan

"It is very important for Sudan but also for the region. We'll work hard to avoid a possible secession," he added.

Sudan's mainly Muslim north and the Animist and Christian South ended their two-decade war in 2005 and joined a unity government.

But tensions remain high as the country holds in April its first genuine multi-party national elections since 1986.

The south, which has a semi-autonomous government, is likely to vote to secede from the north in the 2011 referendum, correspondents say.

Somalia: 2 Traditional Somali Elders Killed in Harardere Town from allAfrica.com

Somalia — Unidentified gunmen have shot and killed two traditional elders in Harardere town in Mudug region overnight, just as tense situation between the Somali pirates rose in Hobyo, a strong hold of the Somali pirates in the north of the country.

Locals said that unknown armed gunmen opened fire at each other at Harardere town and caused the deaths of two traditional elders who were round where the fire exchange happened as they were trying to negotiate gunmen who were fighting adding that most of the people in town had expressed shocking about the murdering.

The murderers escaped instantly as they shot the elders who were trying to solve the two men according the reports from Harardere town on Saturday morning in Mudug region and it is unclear the main aim of the two sides' gun battle.

On the other hand tense situation between the Somali pirates has risen at Hobyo district, a stronghold of the pirates in Mudug region in north Somalia.

Residents said that more armed vehicles could be seen pouring into the town adding that most of the people in the area expressed concern about the violence between the two sides and the possibility of heavy fighting that breaks out in the town.

Somalia: Somali Government Welcomes UN's Decision for Amisom's Presence in Somalia from allAfrica.com

Somalia — Sheik Yusuf Mohamed Siad better known as (Inda'adde), the state minister of transitional government for the defense affairs said in an interview with Shabelle radio that the TFG had welcomed the decision of the United Nation's decision for extending the presence of the AU troops in Somalia.

The minister said that the officials of the transitional federal government of Somalia had requested from the United nations to increase the mandate for the African Union troops AMISOM earlier stressing that the government had completely hailed the step which allows AU troops to stay the country for one year.

Sheik Yusuf also said that they would start a crackdown for the security of the country for the coming weeks to assure the security and stability of whole the country.

"The government had the theory to increase the AU troops' mandate to be extended, the government welcomes the decision because it had already demanded that, there is no doubt that they can fill their duties as they can," said Sheik yusuf Mohamed.

The statement of the mister of state of the transitional Federal Government of Somalia for the defense affairs Sheik Yusuf Mohamed (Inda'adde) comes as just few days after the United Nation extended the mandate of the African Union troops AMISOM to be present in Mogadishu a year.

Tanzania: Expert - China Hungry for African Resources from allAfrica.com

Researchers have to prove claims that Chinese investments in Africa are driven by the Asian country's hunger for raw materials and energy, a senior Chinese conservationist said yesterday.

Speaking at a policy forum breakfast meeting in Dar es Salaam, the China-Africa senior policy coordinator under the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Mr Liu Caifeng, doubted the legitimacy of widely-held claims that Chinese investments in Africa are a ploy for the Asian nation to take away Africa's natural resources.

"There is need for a serious research on this topic," he told The Citizen, explaining that diversification trends in investment sectors, preferred by Chinese firms in Africa, indicate that the world's third largest economy is a genuine investor.

He said the time was ripe for serious researchers to come up with a report on how much of China's investments in Africa goes to extraction of raw materials as opposed to that which goes to infrastructure development, buildings and manufacturing among others.

A paper presented at the meeting by Dr Cosmas Sokoni of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Geography department indicates that China has of late diversified its areas of investment in Tanzania.

The country, which emerged as the world's number one exporter last year and is home to over 1.3 billion people, now engages in Tanzania's mining, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, energy, health and education sectors, among others.

However, the country's businesspeople are also on record as having colluded with some unscrupulous Tanzanians to defraud the country of revenues through smuggling of forestry products worth $58 million annually between 2004 and 2005.

Cases of cheap and fake products manufactured in China, which create an unfair competition with locally-manufactured products, are also rampant.

A survey conducted late last year by Dar es Salaam regional authorities established that most Chinese entrepreneurs were engaged in businesses other than which their TIC [Tanzania Investment Centre] certificates show.

A number of them rub shoulders with locals in Kariakoo, Sinza and Manzese, selling shoes, sandals and cheap clothes. But most of these goods are said to be produced locally in backyards.

According to Dr George Jambija, from the UDSM Geography department, some of the problems allegedly brought about by Chinese investors, are a result of the continent's own reluctance to move abreast of global changes.

"China has a strategy for Africa, does Africa or Tanzania have a strategy for China . Corruption is a serious crime in China, why do Chinese investors become corrupt only after investing in our countries?" he wondered.

The total market value of all final goods and services produced in China in 2008 (China's 2008 gross domestic product - GDP) reached $4.327 trillion.

This makes it the world's third largest economy after the European Union (accounted as a bloc) and the United States of America.

The country is one of Tanzania's top five investors. TIC records indicate that in 2007 alone, China invested $3 billion in ten African economies, of which $111 million was invested in Tanzania.

In the same year, the total trade volume between the two countries stood at $290 million, of which China's exports were $180 million and imports $110 million.

China's main exports to Tanzania are foodstuffs, motor vehicles, textiles, light industrial products, chemical products, mechanical equipment, electric appliances and steel.

On the other hand, Tanzania's main exports to China are dry seafood, raw leather and logs, coarse copper and wooden handicrafts.

Tanzania is also among the countries that receive huge amounts in China's development assistance.

Russia announces Libya arms deal worth $1.8bn from the BBC

Russia is to supply Libya with small-arms and other weapons to the value of $1.8bn (£1.1bn, 1.3bn euros), Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced.

The contract is worth nearly a quarter of the Russian state arms exporter's entire sales last year, which were put at $7.4bn.

Mr Putin said the deal had been signed on Friday during a visit by the Libyan defence minister.

There was no immediate word from the Libyan side on the deal.

Abu Bakr Yunis Jaber, Libya's defence minister, has been in Moscow for several days, meeting defence officials.

Keeping busy

Mr Putin gave no details of the arms covered by the contract. Russian media speculated earlier that it might include fighter planes.

"Yesterday a contract worth 1.3bn euros was signed," Mr Putin announced at a meeting near Moscow with the director of the Russian small-arms manufacturer Izhmash, which makes the Kalashnikov assault rifle.

"These are not just small-arms."

Mr Putin gave no further details. However, according to a military diplomatic source quoted earlier by Russian news agencies, the deal included fighter aircraft, tanks and a sophisticated air defence system.

Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly, announced on Thursday that its 2009 sales had seen a 10% increase on the previous year.

Customers included India, Algeria, China, Venezuela, Malaysia and Syria, with air force weaponry making up 50% of sales.

Nigeria: Yar'Adua - National And Global Pressure Mounts from allAfrica.com

Abuja — Elder statesmen, over 200 members of the House of Representatives and world powers yesterday made strong statements on the continued absence of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua from the country which has left a power vacuum in Nigeria.

The Eminent Elders Group, comprising former Heads of State, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJNs) and other elder statesmen urged Yar'Adua to transmit a letter to the National Assembly to enable Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan step in as Acting President.

About 200 out of the 360 members of the House of Representives have also signed a letter asking the President to formalise his medical leave on a day the US, UK, France and European Union voiced their concern on the power vacuum.

The Senate had, at the end of a two-day closed session, which held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, passed a resolution urging Yar'Adua to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation in Saudi Arabia in line with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

The elders group, led on the visit by Second Republic President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, yesterday met separately with Senate President David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, behind closed-doors to present to them a letter containing its resolutions on the state of the nation.

The letter written and signed by a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on behalf of the group, reads: "I have been mandated and have the honour to address this letter to Your Excellency on issues of fundamental importance to the wellbeing of our dear nation, Nigeria.

"For well over eight weeks now, our President has been ill and out of the country. This illness and long absence from the country is causing serious concern not only to Nigerian citizens but all those who do business with Nigeria and have the wellbeing of the country at heart.

"It is for this reason that I called the meeting of some of our former Presidents and Heads of State, former Chief Justices of Nigeria and elder statesmen today (January 27)."

The group said further in the letter entitled, "The State of the Nation", that "Following a critical review of the general political situation of the country in the recent past, but more especially since the illness of the President and his prolonged absence, it was decided to address this letter to Your Excellency, the Vice-President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives.

"Resolution of the issue of Acting President pending the return of the President: it is important to resolve this issue by inviting the President to formally issue the necessary communication that will enable the Vice-President to be Acting President in accordance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution as soon as possible."

Shagari met with Mark and Bankole in company with Second Republic Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme; former CJN, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi; former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. T.Y. Danjuma; former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; and a member of the Senate (1999-2007), Senator Jonathan Zwingina.

Those who attended the meeting facilitated by Gana and Zwingina and which held at the ECOWAS Parliament last Wednesday, included Shagari; former Head of the defunct Interim National Government (ING), Chief Ernest Shonekan; Ekwueme; former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais; Hon. Justice Alfa Belgore; and Kutigi.

Others are former Minister of Police Affairs, Chief Solomon Lar; former Federal Information Commissioner, Chief Edwin Clark; former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma; former Federal Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ahmed Joda; Danjuma; Gana; and Zwingina.

Presenting the letter, Shagari said that they were concerned about the lingering political crisis in the country occasioned by the prolonged absence of President Yar'Adua and his failure to transmit a letter to the National Assembly to enable his Vice-President to step in as Acting President.

According to him, "We were worried about the situation in the country. We were happy to know that you were discussing the same thing that we were discussing yesterday (Wednesday). Everything depends on you. Everything depends on your decision."

In his response, the Senate President assured the Group that the Upper House would certainly benefit from the wealth of experience of its members.

He said: "The experience this group will bring on board will be immeasurable. We believe that we need to be notified that the President is on medical vacation.

"In doing this, we were conscious of the security, political and power balancing in this country. The unity of this country is of utmost importance."

According to Mark, "We are humbled by your humility. We are anxious to put this impasse behind us so that we can make progress."

World powers also commented on the impasse yesterday, lamenting the "uncertainty" caused by his absence.

"Nigeria is going through a period of uncertainty because of the prolonged illness of President Musa Umaru Yar' Adua," said a joint statement by the US, EU, UK and France.

The powers said they welcomed constitutional efforts in Nigeria to "resolve the question of governing authority in the president's prolonged absence".

"Nigeria's stability and democracy carry great significance beyond its immediate borders given its importance as a global oil producer and stabilising force in West Africa," said the statement.

It was signed by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton.

It is the first time foreign powers have openly expressed concern about Yar'Adua's absence amid concerns by opposition groups that the president's illness has made him incapable of ruling the country.

The statement was issued in London as foreign ministers met to discuss how to aid war-torn Afghanistan.

"We extend our best wishes to President Yar'Adua and his family and join the Nigerian people in wishing him a full recovery," said the foreign ministers' statement.

But it nonetheless commended efforts to break the political deadlock gripping the country, pointing to the recent outbreak of religious and ethnic violence in central Nigeria which claimed hundreds of lives.

"Nigerians have launched an important conversation in examining how constitutional processes can resolve the question of governing authority in the President's prolonged absence.

"We commend these efforts and their pursuit through appropriate Nigerian democratic institutions to address its citizens' concerns," they said.

In the House, about 200 members have endorsed a letter addressed to the President demanding the transmission of a letter formally notifying the National

Assembly of his absence in compliance with Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawmakers have threatened to seek "other legislative options" if the Presidency and the Executive Council of the Federation continue to flout the provisions of the constitution.

The lawmakers, THISDAY learnt, are aggrieved that several attempts by them to have the issue decisively tackled over the past couple of weeks have been truncated by the leadership of the House.

Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh however denied knowledge of the group of lawmakers behind the purported letter.

He also denied that the House received any financial inducement to scuttle the move to compel President Yar'Adua to send in a letter.

Nigeria: Yar'Adua - PDP, Mark,Bankole Aondoakaa in Crucial Meeting from allAfrica.com

Abuja — FOLLOWING the storming of the Presidency and the National Assembly on Thursday by eminent leaders led by former President Shehu Shagari on the present health situation of President Umaru Yar'Adua who has been out of the country since November 23, 2009, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the leadership of the National Assembly yesterday held a closed door meeting to brainstorm on unfolding issues.

The meeting involved the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, members of the party's National Working Committee (NWC), the Senate President, Senator David Mark, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Demeji Bankole and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Mike Aondonkaa.

The crucial meeting took place at the private residence of the National Chairman of PDP, No. 45 Mamman Nasir Street, Asokoro in Abuja, just as the source stressed that the decision to hold the meeting at the private residence of Ogbulafor was to avoid unnecessary suspicion and the prying eyes of newsmen.

It was also gathered that the crucial meeting with the principal officers of the National Assembly and members of the President's Kitchen cabinet was to avert tension and reduce tension in the country due to the continued absence of President Yar'Adua.

The Senate President as gathered explained that the meeting was among others geared towards discussing the letter which President Yar'Adua ought to have transmitted to the Senate during his absence, adding that the action of the Senate was to avert the growing tension in the country as well a avoid any consequential circumstances that could arise with the continued absence of the President.

The source said further that while contributing to the discussions, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole informed the meeting of the growing tension within the House of Representatives to the extent that over 200 members of the House have signalled their intention to commence impeachment proceedings against the President should he refuse to transmit a letter notifying the National Assembly that he was seeking medical attention in Saudi Arabia.

Nigeria: Federal Govt Prosecutes 109 People over Boko Haram Crisis from allAfrica.com

The Federal Government says it has so far prosecuted 109 people over the 2009 Boko Haram crisis in Borno state.

The Islamic sect, Boko Haram, in protest against western education, rampaged in August 2009, killing indiscriminately.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Michael Aondoakaa said at a forum in Abuja that the killings constituted culpable homicide punishable with death.

He said that the culprits were charged with the use of explosives, fire arms and mischief by fire.

Aondoakaa said the body of Attorneys-General had embarked on a renewal of its efforts to improve the process of prosecution.

He said there was also the need for synergy between the office of the attorney general and investigating police officers (IPO).

The minister said that it was not for the police to lock up people when there was no evidence to secure a conviction.

Aondoakaa said the communal and religious crises in Jos and other parts of the north did not arise from the failure of prosecution but from the difficulties associated with prosecution.

"When people sometimes are charged to court, they reconcile and do not come to court to testify.

"As a prosecutor, even when I charge you to court and nobody comes to give evidence, I cannot get a conviction," he noted.

He was happy that the new anti-terrorism Act makes offences, such as murder, kidnapping, hostage taking, and insurrection against the state punishable with life imprisonment. The minister was also happy that the Act grants the Federal and State High courts the jurisdiction to try treason cases.

African Union to Review ICT Development from allAfrica.com

The African Union Summit in Ethiopia will assess the impact of information communication technology on the continent as well as other socio-economic and security developments. The theme of the Summit is "Information Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development".

ICT has been identified as a catalyst for growth in the current global market but unchecked development may also pose serious challenges to developing countries as more advanced nations impose or control the flow of information. African leaders are expected to deliberate on how the continent can harness opportunities presented by ICT while at the same time addressing its challenges.

Development in ICT have the potential to promote investment in various sectors of the economy such as agriculture, tourism, education and health, resulting in the creation of jobs, increase in agriculture production as well as improvement in connectivity with the rest of the world.

The Summit, to be held at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa from 31 January to 2 February, is also expected to discuss a proposal put forward by Nigeria to establish an African Union Rapid Response Force (AURRF) that would detect and address potential conflicts on the continent. Supporters of the AURRF believe that the establishment of such a force should enable Africa to resolve its security challenges without unnecessary outside interference. Another major issue for discussion is the socio-economic situation on the continent.

The AU has invited World Bank President Robert Zoellick to make a presentation on how Africa may improve its economy and attract investment. Zoellick is expected to propose ways that Africa and the Bank can work together to minimize the effects of the financial crisis that affected the entire world last year.

Discussion will also centre on progress toward implementation of various resolutions made at the last Summit in Sirte, Libya. These include the approval of a plan to transform the AU Commission, the executive arm of the pan-African body, into an Authority with a broader mandate and power over defence, diplomatic and international trade matters. The decision, which is a step towards continental integration, now awaits ratification by Member States after the requisite amendments are made to the constitutive acts.

A progress report on the matter is expected to be presented to the Summit for further discussion. African leaders have maintained different positions on the immediate setting up of a continental body with power over sectors normally under national jurisdiction. Though the development could help to transform Africa into a powerful union, the move presents challenges on the sovereignty of individual states.

The Summit will elect a new chair to take over from Libya. The chair rotates among the five regions of Africa and this time it is the turn of southern Africa. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has endorsed the candidature of Malawi. If approved by the full Summit, Malawi is expected to host the second AU Summit for the year, which is usually held mid-year, in July.

With regard to political developments, the situation in Madagascar, Guinea Bissau and Niger are set receive top priority. Madagascar slid into political turmoil in March last year when opposition leader Andry Rajoelina seized power from President Marc Ravalomanana in a public demonstration backed by the military. Attempts to find a lasting solution to the challenges have been made through SADC-initiated talks led by former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano. However, implementation of this agreement continues to be a major challenge and it remains to be seen if Madagascar will put in place a transitional government that will organize fresh elections this year.

Guinea Bissau and Niger have remained on the agenda following moves by the authorities to change the constitutions to enable them to remain in power. A progress report on Zimbabwe's inclusive government and the improving situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to be presented to the Summit.

The Summit is set to deliberate on the International Criminal Court (ICC) which African leaders have described as a western institution that does not represent its interests. At the 2009 Summit, the leaders said Africa will not cooperate with the ICC, especially in extraditing Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.

Other issues expected to top the Summit agenda include the energy situation in Africa, climate change, notably the outcome of the recent Climate Change conference held in Denmark. The conference ended without agreement and Africa has vowed to negotiate as one until a better deal is reached.

Prior to the 14th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, senior and technical officials will meet followed by a preparatory meeting of the Council of Ministers. The African Union is a pan-African organisation whose goal is to propel a united continent towards peace and prosperity. Made up of 53 members, the AU succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002.

Namibia: Treason Accused Loses Assault Claim Case from allAfrica.com

ONE of the suspects facing charges in the main Caprivi high treason trial has lost the case in which he was suing the Ministers of Home Affairs and of Defence for N$550 000 for allegedly having been unlawfully arrested and assaulted in August 1999.

Britan Simisho Lielezo (33) has been kept in custody since being arrested in the Caprivi Region on August 27 1999 - some three and a half weeks after armed separatists had staged surprise attacks against Government-related targets at Katima Mulilo.

Following his arrest, and the widely-publicised assaults that security force members committed against people who were detained in the wake of the secessionist attacks, Lielezo was one of the high treason accused who later sued the ministers responsible for the Namibian Police and the Namibia Defence Force.

In a claim that was filed with the High Court in July 2000, Lielezo sued the Ministers of Home Affairs - at that stage responsible for the Namibian Police - and the Minister of Defence for N$250 000 for having allegedly been arrested and detained unlawfully, and for an additional N$300 000 for having allegedly been assaulted during and after his arrest.

Lielezo's claim was dismissed with costs by Judge Collins Parker on Wednesday last week.

In a judgement handed down in the High Court, Judge Parker found that it had neither been proven that Lielezo's arrest had been unlawful, nor that he had been assaulted at the time of his arrest or thereafter.

Judge Parker heard testimony on Lielezo's claim in early October last year.

During the trial, Lielezo claimed he could not understand or speak English, that he was not informed of his rights at the time of his arrest, and that the people who arrested him also did not identify themselves to him.

Six witnesses who testified on behalf of the two ministers disputed this evidence from Lielezo. These witnesses - Police officers and a prison officer and nurse from Grootfontein Prison, where Lielezo was later detained - all told the court that they and Lielezo communicated with each other in English.

In view of the totality of the overwhelming evidence on the issue, Judge Parker said in his judgement, he had no hesitation in finding that Lielezo lied to the court when he said he could not read, speak or understand English.

"I must, with the greatest deference, say that the plaintiff has only succeeded in fooling his legal representatives with this moronic mendacity; but he had been unsuccessful in that regard with this court," Judge Parker stated. He said he had no doubt that the Police officers who arrested Lielezo did not act on a whim, but had good reason for arresting him, and that the arresting officer had promptly informed him in English of the grounds for his arrest.

"The plaintiff, in my view, is a stranger to the truth," Judge Parker commented on Lielezo's testimony on his arrest.

On the alleged assault on Lielezo, his legal representative, Legal Assistance Centre lawyer Lynita Conradie, urged Judge Parker to bear in mind that a Police officer would not easily - if at all - admit assaulting suspects.

Judge Parker responded that it must also be borne in mind that a plaintiff in Lielezo's shoes would also strenuously say that he had been assaulted by members of the Namibian Police and other law enforcement or security agents, even if he had not been assaulted, if he knew he could gain a substantial amount of money in damages from the State.

When Lielezo's case was first filed with the High Court, he claimed the assault on him included him being beaten with sjamboks.

In February last year, though, his claim was amended, and Lielezo no longer claimed that he had been beaten with sjamboks as well. He continued to claim he had been beaten with batons, kicked, punched and slapped, and that his hands were tied behind his back with wire.

During the trial Lielezo added that he had also been forced to sit on a hot place in the bakkie in which he was transported to Katima Mulilo after his arrest.

He claimed he experienced excruciating pain and sustained burns as a result.

Discrepancies between Lielezo's amended claim and his testimony in court put his credibility in a bad light, Judge Parker remarked.

Police officers who testified in the trial denied that Lielezo had been assaulted.

Lielezo told the court that when he first arrived at Katima Mulilo Police Station after his arrest, he had a bleeding wound on his left ear and was also bleeding from his one arm and a leg. The Police officer who booked him in at the Police station however told the court that he did not see any such injuries.

No injuries were noticed either by the prison officer who booked Lielezo in at Grootfontein Prison two days after his arrest, the court was told.

Judge Parker concluded that the version of the defendants' witnesses on the material aspects of the case could be accepted as possible true. He however rejected Lielezo's version as possibly false, with the result that Lielezo's claim was dismissed.

The two ministers were represented by George Coleman, on instructions from the Government Attorney.

Lielezo's claim is the third such damages claim by suspects in the high treason trial to be dismissed in the High Court.

Another two claims were dismissed by Judge Louis Muller in early April last year.

Twenty-four similar claims against Government have been settled out of court, 88 claims are still pending, and 11 claims are partly heard or awaiting judgement.Treason accused loses assault claim case

Nigeria: Swear in Jonathan, Says South-South, South-West Leaders from allAfrica.com

Abuja — LEADERS of the South South and South West zones of the country yesterday called for the immediate swearing in of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President of the country following the inability of President Umaru Yar'Adua to run the affairs of the country as a result of his ill health

In a joint statement issued in Abuja yesterday at the end of their meeting titled 'joint statement issued by Yoruba leaders of conscience and South_South elders and leaders on the state of the nation', the leaders noted that persistent violations of the provisions of the Constitution have created a needless constitutional crisis that were capable of threatening the very stability of the country.

The Statement was signed by former Information Commissioner and Elderstatesman, Chief Edwin K. Clark, Bishop Emmanuel Gbonigi, Dr. Frederick Faseheun and Chief Sunny Jackson Udoh

According to them, "Yoruba Leaders of Conscience and the South_South Elders and Leaders Forum met on Friday, 29th January, 2010 in Abuja to review the state of the nation and issued the following statement: the Nigerian state has been sailing "like a rudderless ship towards a precipice for over sixty days following the absence from duty of the President and Commander in Chief, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua on grounds of ill_health, we are now a country without leadership.

"Whereas section 145 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which states that "whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President."

"Whereas the continued failure to comply with the aforementioned constitutional requirement has thrown the country into political quagmire which is being lampooned by the international community;

"Whereas the constitution in Section 1(2) provides " that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution"

"The continued failure to effect the needed succession by swearing in the Vice President as Acting President has resulted in a click taking over the control of the government of the country for the satisfaction of their parochial and selfish interests, in clear violation of the constitution;

"Whereas well respected elders and progressive advocates and institutions like the National Assembly have collectively called on President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to comply with the provisions of section 145 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to transmit a declaration to the National Assembly so as to enable the Vice President act as President;

"Whereas the Constitution as the ground norm provides the very basis for the coming together of the heterogeneous groups that make up the country where there was no formal union treaty, the flagrant abuse or disrespect for its provisions puts to question the fundamental basis for the coming together of the peoples.

The leaders resolved "That no Nigerian, leader and/or led, is greater than the letters and spirit of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

"That the provisions of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria should be fully respected, revered and complied with.

"That as peoples of the South South and South West, having shared commitment to justice, equity and fairness, have agreed to work together to ensure the full compliance of the letters and spirit of the constitution;

"That in a regime where the rule of law is the cardinal pillar of governance, nothing short of the full compliance with the provisions of section 145 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would guarantee the security, stability, indivisibility and economic prosperity of the country".