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".

East Africa: Pirates Looted Sh45 Billion Last Year - Report from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — Ship owners paid Somali pirates over Sh45 billion ($60 million) in ransom money last year, a report from a regional anti-piracy watchdog has revealed.

The Seafarers' Assistance Programme report indicated that 47 vessels and nearly 300 crew members were captured by the pirates.

Programme co-ordinator Andrew Mwangura said that despite existing international efforts to counter piracy, 12 vessels and their crew, including a yachting couple, have so far fallen captive this year as piracy continued to threaten commercial activities in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian ocean.

"During the first weeks of the new year, large ships continued to be attacked by the daring pirates," he noted.

Mr Mwangura said Global Peace Organisation, The World Peace Foundation and the Cambridge Coalition to Combat Piracy, have released 38 recommendations on how various stakeholders can combat the scourge on land and in the sea.

Some of the stakeholders identified to partner in the new strategy include allied navies, ship owners and their crews and the countries affected.

Pirate activities, believed to be perpetrated by suspected Somali nationals from the war-torn country, have caused untold suffering and losses to thousands of crews and owners of vessels, some of who have been forced to pay colossal sums as ransom money to secure the release of their ships.

Recently, a Greek flagged tanker, VLCC Maran Centaurus and her 28 crew members that had been held captive off the Somali coast, was only released after the owners reportedly paid out a ransom of over $7 million, reportedly the largest ransom ever paid out to pirates.

Piracy has impacted negatively on efforts by the World Food Programme to send humanitarian aid to starving families in Somalia, with some merchants refusing to hire out their vessels to ferry the food rations to that country.

Nigeria: 200 Reps Set to Impeach Yar'Adua from allAfrica.com

Abuja — Over 200 members of the House of Representatives have appended their signatures to a document that seeks to impeach President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, following his prolonged absence from the country and failure to hand over to the vice-president pending the time of his return.

This is just as the Speaker of the House, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, assured another group of eminent Nigerians, comprising of former Presidents, Vice Presidents, former Chief Justices of the Federation and ministers that the House is ready to do what is absolutely necessary to move the nation forward.

The 200 members, in a letter dated January 25, 2010 and addressed to the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, directed Yar'Adua to adhere to Section 145 of the constitution and transmit the communication required to notify the legislature of his absence in order to avert a looming national crisis.

It also stated that the president should address the people of Nigeria in a nationwide telecast to encourage and reassure the Nigerian people. Failure to do this, they added, would leave them no other option but to resort to any appropriate legislative process under the constitution of Nigeria.

"We, the undersigned members of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, may, in the national interest be compelled to resort to any appropriate legislative process under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to salvage the nation and our hard-won democracy if the present avoidable danger or threat to the existence of our nation and its democracy are not averted," the letter stated.

The members said they were compelled to act in this manner because of the fundamental issues involved in the matter which, according to them, "is not about your good self but about the sovereignty of the people of Nigeria and the sanctity of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the sustenance of our young democracy and the stabilisation of our diverse and dynamic polity."

The letter continued, "It is our view that even without the clear provisions of Section 145 of the constitution, it would have been necessary and proper for you to have notified the National Assembly and the people of Nigeria of your absence from the country and the reasons thereof.

"Mr President, we feel duty-bound to inform you that the situation of the country since you left is, to say the least, worrisome if the truth be told. These developments include the listing of Nigeria as a country of interest by the United States of America in their global terrorism watch list and the attendant diplomatic and national security challenges arising there-from, the condemnable acts of violence and mayhem in Jos, Plateau State, and the threat of same in other states in the federation, the dwindling international influence of Nigeria, the lull in the interpretation of the laudable amnesty programme in the Niger Delta region with the attendant likelihood of insurgence of militant activities and, above all, the need to provide leadership for the ongoing constitutional amendment and electoral reform process."

The over 200 members who signed the letter were discovered by LEADERSHIP to have been holding meetings on the issue even before the second court ruling by the court with just 38 members before the number gradually grew to what it was as at last night.

According to a member of the group, members were coordinating support based on state level, adding, "This is just a reaction to the directive given to FEC by the court to decide in its meeting on the case."

When this reporter phoned the Chairman of the House Committee on Media, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, to comment, his phone was not reachable but the chairman of the Business and Rules Committee, Hon. Ita Enang, described it as "a rumour at its best".

Meanwhile, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) have been accused of violating the court order that asked them to pass a resolution within 14 days to tell whether President Yar'Adua was fit to discharge the functions of his office or not.

A human rights activist lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, vowed to issue Form 49 charging the FEC members for contempt of court because they twisted the resolution by involving cronies and friends of Yar'Adua who were not members of the FEC to cast vote.

Aturu added that it was not possible for the FEC to resolve on health status of someone that they don't see around, moreso, they are not medical practitioners.

At a press conference held at the New Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, the chairman of the Jigawa State chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, Barrister Sani Hussaini Garun Gabas, and his lawyer Bamidele Aturu, they vowed to step up their struggle in the bid to invoke Section 146 of 1999 constitution because by virtue of Yar'Adua's health status, he is incapacitated to discharge the functions of his office.

The lawyer also revealed that they intended to appeal the judgement delivered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Daniel Abutu, which handed the 14-day ultimatum to the FEC.

The grounds of their appeal included praying to the appellate court to determine whether Yar'Adua had not breached Section 146 with his long absence at a Saudi Arabian hospital.

They are also asking the court to declare as unlawful for Yar'Adua running his office off-shore, and if so held, render all he was said to have purportedly signed as null and void.

He said since the president travelled without transmitting a letter to National Assembly, he has therefore violated section 145 of the constitution.

According to Aturu, "We envisaged they forged his signature and some people may still go to jail even long after the exercise."

In another twist, Aturu said, "We had written to the attorney-general of the federation to give us a copy of FEC resolution."

It would be recalled that a 14-day ultimatum on January 22, 2010 pursuant to a suit filed by a former minority leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Aliyu, and Garun Gabas against the attorney-general of the federation and the entire Federal Executive Council members.

Justice Abutu, however, averred that the court had no power to pronounce that Yar'Adua was no longer fit and proper to continue to undertake the duties of his office. The judge said it was only the FEC that could take steps to determine whether Yar'Adua was incapacitated or not.

Nigeria: Abdulmutallab - Malaysia Nabs Two Nigerian Accomplices from allAfrica.com

Lagos — Ten terror suspects including two Nigerians said to be accomplices of Christmas Day United States jetliner failed bomber, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, have been arrested in Malaysia, the country has announced.

They include four men from Syria, two from Nigeria and one each from Yemen and Jordan, said Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, head of a rights group that assists people held under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.

The country has not released the name of the suspected terrorists.

They were among 50 people arrested by police while attending a religious talk by a Syrian university lecturer on January 21 at a home near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's largest city, Syed Ibrahim said. The others were later released.

The Malaysian government-owned New Straits Times newspaper said foreign anti-terrorism agencies told authorities that the suspects were in Malaysia and were linked to a young Nigerian man accused of trying to detonate a bomb hidden in his underwear during a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day.

The newspaper did not say how it obtained the information or how they were linked.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein refused to give other details yesterday, saying it might jeopardize investigations. He said the detainees posed a "serious threat" to security and their arrests were based on co-operation with foreign intelligence agencies.

"This is a very good wake-up call for us because the playground for terrorists is no longer just one nation. The whole world is their playground," he said.

The suspects include students at a Malaysian university, said Syed Ibrahim, the rights activist. He urged the government to either charge them to court or release them.

Activists identified one detainee as Aiman Al Dakkak, a Syrian university lecturer who has been living in Malaysia since 2003. He gave regular religious classes but did not advocate terrorism to his students, said Muhamad Yunus Zainal Abidin, a Malaysian who was arrested at the class and released several hours later.

Interrogators did not ask those freed about any ties to AbdulMutallab, Muhamad Yunus told a news conference.

Over the past decade, Malaysian authorities have held more than 100 militant suspects, mainly alleged members of the al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian network Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been blamed for attacks including the 2002 bombing on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed 202 people.

Most were released after being held for years in a northern prison centre. Authorities say they were rehabilitated and no longer posed a threat. None was ever charged in court.

Rwanda: Fate of Habyarimana's Widow Remains Unclear from allAfrica.com

Kigali — Uncertainty continues to loom over the fate of Genocide fugitive and former First Lady, Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, after a French court turned down her last appeal for asylum last year.

The decision taken by Le Conseil d'Etat can't be appealed.

Three months after the court's decision, Habyarimana who is accused of having been a key player in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is still in France.

A Paris-based organization - "Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda" (CPCR), which works to bring all France-based Genocide fugitives to book and had earlier filed a lawsuit against her, remains dismayed that she is allowed to continue living in France even after the court's decision.

"I think that France simply tolerates her. Normally, she should have been deported," CPCR President Alain Gauthier recently told The New Times.

"Madame Kanziga lives in France illegally. She lives in the suburbs of Paris in her family's estate, in Courcouronnes, to be precise."

When contacted for comment yesterday Thursday, Rwandan Prosecutor General, Martin Ngoga revealed that like all other Genocide fugitives in France, Mrs. Habyarimana is wanted by Rwanda.

"What is official is that we have sent the indictments and French judges have been here once, not on an investigation but a fact-finding mission," Ngoga said.

"This is an indication that they already have the file and are doing something about it. We would want to see all fugitives brought here, without any exceptions."

In a related development, the case of Sosthene Munyemana, another Genocide fugitive also known as "The Butcher of Tumba", is scheduled to be heard on February 4.

Congo-Kinshasa: Witness - My Son Was Never A Child Soldier from allAfrica.com

The first witness to appear for the Thomas Lubanga defense told court today that although his son never served in any military group, an organization which had promised to give the boy a job later started passing him off as a former child soldier.

According to the testimony, the unnamed organization also duped the child's mother and uncle into believing it would offer a scholarship to the boy. The organization apparently had offices in the north-eastern Congolese town of Beni and in the capital Kinshasa.

This testimony appears to support claims made by lead defense counsel Catherine Mabille at the opening of the defense case on Wednesday that many of the prosecution witnesses who claimed to have been child soldiers never were.

Mabille said the defense would show that six of them were never child soldiers, the seventh lied about his age and the conditions in which he enrolled, and the eighth never belonged to the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC). It was not clear from the testimony – most of which was given in closed session – whether the son of the current witness has appeared as a prosecution witness.

Lubanga, whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleges was the founder of UPC, is accused of enlisting, conscripting and using child soldiers in armed conflict during 2002 and 2003.

During today's hearing, the witness explained how his unruly son who disappeared from home during 2007 ended up in the hands of people who were later to claim he had been a child soldier.

Earlier on Wednesday, when the witness first testified after the defense team's opening statement, he said throughout 2002 and 2003, he was at home with his son and that at no time did the boy serve in any military group. To protect his identity, the witness testified out of public view and his voice was distorted in court transmissions of his testimony.

Today, he explained how his son and the son's uncle traveled to the Beni offices of an organization which had promised to give the boy a job. He did not say in public session what year they travelled to Beni.

Prosecutor Manoj Sachdeva asked the witness whether the uncle never told him that officials of that organization were questioning his son about his time as a child soldier.

The witness then recounted what the uncle had told him about their visits to the organization's offices:

"When they went to Beni the child was taken to another office and the child never told him about what was discussed in that office. When they returned from the second trip, when they reached Kisangani (a Congolese city), when they were abandoned in the hotel for a period of one week, they called the person who made the trip with them and the person told them that you can no longer return to Ituri because you will not be safe there.

"So he was surprised; they were surprised and later on they were then taken to Kinshasa. Once they reached Kinshasa, after a period of about three days, his uncle was invited to an office and there he met two individuals, a white man and an African. The individuals asked him whether he knew about the child having carried out military service. He was surprised and then he tried to return.

"He asked them whether he could return with the boy. And he was told that if he had to return he would return alone because the boy would not return with him. He called the boy and asked him to return with him and the boy said 'I can not return, I still have things to do here'. That is the explanation he gave us."

Sachdeva then asked the witness whether the uncle never told him the reason why they were meeting his son during the first trip to Beni.

"I said that when they were in Beni the secret was hidden from them. When they reached Kinshasa they did not go together to the office," said the witness. "They went separately and when he put the question to the boy, the boy didn't tell him the truth about what was done in the office."

The witness also recalled how a stranger visited their home and convinced his wife to sign papers purportedly related to the education of their son who had disappeared from home.

"He started talking and he re-assured the wife and asked her not to worry because her child was alive and was studying well, et cetera. And he said there were people helping him to study and who wished to meet… .my wife so that they could see him," said the witness. "Subsequently we prepared coffee, she prayed, and then … upon leaving he said to my wife that she had to come to town in order to meet these people in their office where they worked."

Although he discouraged his wife from getting involved "in such matters that she had no control over", she had insisted on visiting the offices of the organization.

"My wife arrived there and she was told that in order for the child to be able to study for free, the whites who are helping him would like her to sign a letter written in that place and that they would help the child to study and bring him back.

"When the mother heard that piece of information, she signed the paper. And then she came home and told me. And I said to her that there is a danger with regard to what you've signed. And a short time later we saw the consequences thereof. This is when the trouble begun and this continues."

The witness will continue his testimony on Monday next week.

Somalia: Clashes Claim More Lives in Mogadishu from allAfrica.com

Mogadishu — At least five people have been killed and 15 others wounded after violence with shelling between the transitional government soldiers backing by AMISOM troops and Islamist forces, witnesses told Shabelle radio on Friday. Other reports said 10 people were killed and 21 wounded.

Most of the clashes continued at Taleh, Digfer Hospital, KM4, a strategic base for the AMISOM troops, all in parts of Hodan district in south of the capital and both used heavy gunfire which resulted in the deaths more people most of them civilians according the residents around where the clashes happened today.

Mohamed Abukar Abdi, a freelance journalist told Shabelle radio that he witnessed the deaths of 4 people and more 13 others at parts of the neighborhoods of Hodan district in Mogadishu

Heavy shellings were reportedly landed at Daynile and Yaqshid districts in the capital but the real casualties of those areas are unclear so far and violence follows heavy fighting between the allied troops of AMISOM and TFG and Islamist fighters of Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen with Hizbul Islam that lost the lives of more than 10 and injuries of 30 others in Mogadishu until overnight.

Somalia: Explosions Raise Fears Over Somaliland Stability from allAfrica.com

Hairgeisa — The latest bomb explosion in Somalia's self-declared independent republic of Somaliland raises concerns over the lack of government presence in the Las-anod area, says an analyst.

Among those injured in the blast, which killed one person and injured five on 28 January, was the governor of Sool region, Askar Farah Hussein, who was admitted to a hospital in the town of Las-anod.

Commenting on the bombings that have hit the region since October 2009, Somaliland President Dahir Rayale Kahin told reporters: "I have heard the opposition accusing the government of being behind the bombs; this is unfortunate, the government is investigating, but we need to know that the enemy wants [to stage] more attacks against Somaliland..."

The latest incident brings to five the bombings since October 2009 in Las-anod, capital of a region in contention between Somaliland and Puntland. Las-anod is part of Sool and Sanag region, to which the governments of Somaliland and Puntland both lay claim.

According to EJ Hogendoorn, the International Crisis Group's Horn of Africa Project Director, the Somaliland government is strong enough to get the situation under control in Las-anod "but the problem is that there is minimal government presence in the area".

"The area remains largely unadministered by both Puntland and Somaliland," Hogendoorn said, adding that the region is inhabited mainly by the Dhulbahante clan, which has family ties to the ruling Harti clan in Puntland.

"The Sool and Sanag region is disputed by both Puntland and Somaliland for several reasons; the Dhulbahante are unhappy with both Puntland and Somaliland, and Islamist radicals have taken advantage of this to try to cause instability in the area," Hogendoorn said. "Moreover, it is likely that there are significant oil deposits in Sool and Sanag, so both governments lay claim to the region."

Fomenting instability

Hogendoorn said it appeared the violence was inspired by Islamist elements among the Dhulbahante that are sympathetic to Al-Shabab, the main Islamist group that has been waging war against the government in Somalia.

"The interest of these Islamist elements is to foment instability. What is clear is that they have links with Al-Shabab in south and central Somalia," he said. "There is a similar dynamic going in Puntland, where the Islamist radicals have also targeted government officials in the past."

However, Hogendoorn said analysts did not have any evidence that the bombings in Las-anod were orchestrated by Al-Shabab.

"There are a lot of Islamist groups in the whole of Somalia; it is difficult to speculate whether or not Al-Shabab is behind the latest incidents," he said. "The best course of action would be for the Somaliland government to improve security in and around its installations in Las-anod and to have more presence on the ground."

Police Commissioner Mohamed Saqadhi Dubad told IRIN that 23 arrests had been made in relation to the incidents and that investigations were ongoing to establish those behind the attacks.

"We consider the suspects [to be] coming from our enemy who don't like our stability; of course they are external enemies," Dubad said, declining to give any names.

On 26 January 2010, Dubad said, reports were made to police that a suspect package had been seen in Las-anod. The police collected the package but it turned out to be a remote-controlled bomb and it went off, killing two soldiers, Dubad said.

On 14 January, unknown armed men shot dead the Las-anod police commissioner minutes after he left a mosque.

Mohamed Abdi Dhimbil, the deputy governor of Sool, said: "A few days ago, unknown people threw hand grenades at a police station in the south, injuring three policemen."

In late October 2009, an army commander and another official were killed following a bomb explosion.

Dubad said: "Most of the incidents involved remote-controlled bombs, but more than 23 suspects, including officials from Somaliland, have been arrested and they will be on trial soon.

"We captured some explosive material in Hargeisa after a woman in the area notified us that a man had placed what looked like explosive elements on the road near Hawadle Mosque," Dubad said. "One man was arrested over the incident."

The bombings have caused fear and alarm among the public.

"Nowadays Somaliland security is fragile because you can see everywhere there are incidents taking place; for this reason we consider the government could be losing control of national security and we are worried," said Mohamed Farah Qabile, a member of the Lower House of Parliament from the Kulmiye opposition party.

Mohamed Hashi Elmi, a former minister of commerce, said the government should explain to people who was responsible for the explosions.

On 17 January, Vice-President Ahmed Yusuf Yasin announced that national security would be given "the highest priority" in 2010.

Police commissioner Dubad said security for international aid staff would also be improved to facilitate access to many parts of Somaliland.

"We are improving security measures for international staff of aid organizations ... because our enemy is targeting international aid workers as well as other foreign citizens who are helping our people in sectors such as education and health," Dubad said.

He added that police would provide security for aid workers undertaking missions in various parts of the country, "even in their homes".

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

Nigeria militants end truce in Niger Delta oil region from the BBC

The main rebel group in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta says it is ending the ceasefire it declared last October.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Delta (Mend) said it 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.

In a statement announced the end of the ceasefire, Mend said that the decision had been taken "after careful consideration and extensive consultation".

"All companies related to the oil industry in the Niger Delta should prepare for an all-out onslaught," it went on.

"Nothing will be spared," it added.

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.

Despite the ceasefire, one Mend faction attacked a pipeline in December, saying it was a "warning strike" over what it called government delays in progressing with peace talks.

Talks have been held up by the long absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua in Saudi Arabia, where he has been undergoing medical treatment.

Somalia: Raids and Rancour from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — In the year since Mehmoud Hassan arrived in Nairobi from Baidoa in southern Somalia, he says he has been arrested more than 10 times by the Kenyan police and paid more than US$300 in fines to secure his release. His crime, says the 29-year-old former civil society activist, was being a Somali national in a city increasingly hostile to the flood of refugees from the battered Horn of Africa state.

Even this cycle of arrest and release failed to prepare Hassan for his latest encounter with the police. He and his 80-year-old grandmother were among more than 2,000 people - including Somali members of parliament in Nairobi for a meeting - who were rounded up in a week of raids and arrests following a 15 January protest against the detention and subsequent deportation of a radical Islamist cleric by the Kenyan government. Muslim human rights activists claimed five people were killed in the demonstration while the government has limited the official death toll to one.

A spokeswoman for the Internal Security Ministry, who declined to be identified, told IRIN the raids were a direct result of the "threat posed by the foreigners. The riots were not caused by citizens of this country, but by the foreign extremists."

Despite holding identification papers issued by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Hassan and his grandmother were held for two days as illegal migrants, and released only after paying a substantial sum to the police.

"They said I was Al-Shabab [insurgents fighting the Somali government]. But I was not even at the demonstration! What happened was wrong; we are hosted here by this government and yet the government of Kenya targeted us," said Hassan. "There is a rank hostility towards the Somali people and we are feeling hunted here."

Many of those arrested were in fact ethnic Somali citizens of Kenya, which shares a long border with Somalia.

"I am a Kenyan but that did not matter because I am a Somali; it is very unfair to be treated like that in your own country," said a tea-seller, who asked to be identified only as Halimo. "Why don't they arrest others who look like Somalis? We are being singled out. I can understand the police arresting people who break the law but I am only a single mother trying to make a living yet I was treated like a criminal."

Another Kenyan Somali said: "It is a fact that Eastleigh has become a huge business conglomerate, with Kenyan Somalis being the majority owners of the buildings in the area. This has prompted jealousy and business rivalry from non-Somali business operators and they would like nothing else than to see the Somalis' expansion curtailed."

In response to such widespread and well-publicised accusations of malfeasance by his men, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere insisted that "any officer who engages in unethical or unprofessional behaviour during these operations will face stern disciplinary action".

He said more than 1,000 illegal immigrants had been detained and would now "be dealt with according to the law", insisting that "no community, race, faith or nationality had been targeted".

He conceded, however, that "some innocent people have been inconvenienced".

Sowing discord

Although the violence that swept Nairobi after disputed 2007 presidential polls was largely confined to long-standing animosity between ethnic groups, there is a growing sense - corroborated by security analysts - that the government is fomenting hostility against the comparatively well-to-do migrants to deflect attention from its own failings in the run-up to 2012 elections.

"Most Kenyans are really quite frustrated that nothing has changed [since the 2007 elections]; the government is still engaging in the same repressive action, the security machinery is unchanged, and people are fundamentally worse off financially," said Deborah Osiro, a Kenyan researcher with the Institute for Security Studies.

"So the government is using [Kenyan] frustration to possibly take advantage, to cultivate resentment against a population that is perceived as doing well, to deflect responsibility for their failures to really change the status quo."

That open hostility manifests itself both overtly, in police harassment, and covertly, in the disregard for maintaining public infrastructure and utilities in the predominantly Somali neighbourhood of Eastleigh in eastern Nairobi.

"Eastleigh is the fastest growing and one of the most thriving neighbourhoods in Nairobi and that is annoying Kenyans, who are trying to maintain their commercial and economic footholds but are unable to do so," said Osiro. "And they see the Somalis pricing them out of the lower or middle-income real estate market and wonder how refugees can be doing better financially than their hosts. Of course there are deeper influences at play here, but it's easy to blame the stranger - something that seems entirely new for Kenya."

Extremes at play

Though far from being the only neighbourhood in the capital to suffer power outages, water shortages or irregular rubbish collection, Eastleigh has its own particular travails. The visible wealth of the commercial sector is in sharp contrast with its decrepit surroundings.

Soaring above zinc-roofed market stalls are well-constructed multi-storied buildings with sweeping staircases that connect small apartments to storefronts. The roads are virtually impassable, rutted with potholes and crowded with minibuses and gleaming SUVs emblazoned with Arabic slogans. There is no road drainage and passers-by dodge mounds of rubbish on nearly every street corner, weaving around lorries unloading merchandise from dry goods to tyres and electronics.

There are no public clinics in Eastleigh, few state-run schools and men still ply the roads with carts filled with jerry cans of water, to supplement the inconsistent municipal supplies. Such neglect is grating for Abdisak, who asked that his surname not be used. After fleeing Mogadishu in 2007, he has run a small dry goods shop in Eastleigh, supporting a family that includes a young son.

"We pay taxes, lots of taxes, to the city council and other authorities, but when we ask for simple repairs to our roads, or to the sewers, they say no," he said. "And when the Somali business community asked to be allowed to rebuild the roads ourselves, with our own money, they said no. We are at the mercy of gangs, who extort money from us, and of the police, who collect fines."

For Mohammed Ali Mukhtar, the raids following the mosque protest only heightened a feeling that has been brewing within him for several months: even though home is not safe, at least the danger is a known quantity. He is making plans to return to his home in Galkayo, in central Somalia, before the 2012 vote.

"We came here because it was supposed to be safer than at home," he said. "But if they are attacking us now, when there is no reason to do so, what is going to happen with the elections when they have political motivation?"

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

Nigeria Senate and cabinet at odds over ill Yar'Adua from the BBC

Nigeria's Senate and cabinet are at loggerheads over President Umaru Yar'Adua, who has spent two months in hospital in Saudi Arabia.

The cabinet has declared that he is still capable of governing the country.

However, the Senate has called on him to provide a letter saying he is sick, which would allow his deputy to take power, as acting president.

His prolonged absence from Nigeria has raised fears of a power vacuum and led to calls for him to step down.

Nigerian judges are considering three separate legal cases against Mr Yar'Adua.

'Not incapable'

After two days of fierce debate in the Senate, its leader David Mark urged Mr Yar'Adua "to formally notify the National Assembly of his medical vacation".

Lawyers say such written instructions would automatically allow Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to become acting president.

YAR'ADUA ILLNESS TIMELINE

23 November 2009: Goes to hospital in Saudi Arabia

26 November 2009: Presidential doctors say he has pericarditis - inflammation of the heart lining

23 December 2009: First court case filed called him to step down

30 December 2009: Chief justice sworn in. Lawyers say this is illegal in president's absence

5 January 2010: Two more court cases filed and a human rights group wants president declared "missing"

12 January 2010: President gives first interview since going to Saudi Arabia

Yar'Adua's absence still rankles

Profile: President Umaru Yar'Adua

But after a cabinet meeting Justice Minister Michael Aondoakaa said: "The medical treatment outside the country does not constitute incapacity to warrant or commence the process of the removal of the president from office."

This was in response to a court order last week which gave cabinet ministers two weeks to decide if Mr Yar'Adua was still capable of ruling the country.

The president flew to Saudi Arabia in late November for medical treatment and has not been seen in public since.

In his only broadcast interview since he left the country, he told the BBC's Hausa service on 12 January that he would return to resume his duties as soon as his doctors would allow.

As well as the flurry of court cases brought by his opponents, crowds of demonstrators have sporadically taken to the streets in Abuja and Lagos demanding power be handed to Mr Jonathan.

Correspondents say one reason for Mr Yar'Adua's reluctance to allow Mr Jonathan to act on his behalf is the ruling People's Democratic Party's tradition of alternating power between north and south.

Mr Yar'Adua is a northerner, while the vice-president is from the south. So if Mr Jonathan took over, that would shorten the north's stay in power.

The president is suffering from an inflammation of the lining around the heart and has long suffered from kidney problems.

Guinea interim PM Jean Marie Dore takes office from the BBC

The new interim prime minister of Guinea, who is charged with organising elections that will see the end of military rule, has taken office.

Jean Marie Dore was appointed by the general in charge of Guinea, Sekouba Konate, after the military government agreed to step down.

He made a brief speech setting out some big objectives. Reforming Guinea's armed forces was top of the list.

But it is no small order in a country controlled by the military for decades.

The current government took power in December 2008 after the death of Lansana Conte, himself an army man who staged a coup 24 years earlier.

Mr Dore said he would organise elections and prioritise the economic revival of Guinea, which is the world's largest exporter of bauxite and is rich in other minerals.

Huge task

Still to be formed is the transitional government that Mr Dore is in charge of.

It is meant to have 20 members drawn from political parties and civil society and 10 members from the military.

Mr Dore said he hoped that the transitional authority would be in place by the end of the month.

The task ahead is huge.

Guinea has never had a democratically-elected government and the goal is elections in six months.

The international investors in Guinea's massive mineral wealth are still in place, even if output has dropped amid the chaos of the past year.

Convalescing in Burkina Faso is the man technically in charge of the military government, Capt Moussa Dadis Camara.

He has been incapacitated since an assassination attempt in December.

Though sidelined by events, he is still an influential figure and is one of a group of soldiers that the United Nations holds responsible for the shooting of more than 150 opposition demonstrators in September last year.

The new government will have to negotiate a treacherous path between creating a stable present and seeing justice done for crimes in the past.

Zimbabwe court rejects Sadc ruling to end farm seizures from the BBC

Zimbabwe's High Court has rejected a regional court ruling against President Robert Mugabe's land-reform programme, state-owned media says.

"Enforcement of that judgment would be fundamentally contrary to the public policy of this country," said Justice Bharat Patel.

Some white farmers wanted the Harare court to enforce the Sadc tribunal's decision which ruled in their favour.

Almost all white-owned land has been seized in the past 10 years.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) court ruled in 2008 that farmers should be allowed to return to their farms unhindered.

But Mr Mugabe has already rejected the ruling.

Land reform is one of President Mugabe's central policies but his critics say it has helped destroy the country's economy.

Under colonial rule, white farmers seized much of Zimbabwe's best land, forcing black farmers to less fertile areas.

Reversing this was one of the reasons for Zimbabweans taking up arms in the 1970s to end white minority rule.

Since the formation of the unity government last year, there have been some improvements in the country, with organisations and some countries offering aid to help rebuilt Zimbabwe's embattled economy.

By the end of last year the Zimbabwe's economy has stopped its freefall - mainly because the government has adopted foreign currencies instead of the worthless Zimbabwe dollar.

Hillary Clinton blames Nigeria leaders for extremism from the BBC

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has blamed failings by Nigerian leaders for increasing "radicalisation" among young Nigerians.

She pointed to poor living standards and "unbelievable" corruption.

Mrs Clinton was speaking after a young Nigerian man from a wealthy family was accused of trying to blow up a plane over the US on Christmas Day.

She said she believed that bombing suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was "disturbed by his father's wealth".

The Nigerian government has not responded to Mrs Clinton's criticism.

Anti-state uprisings

Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil exporters but most of its people live in poverty.

With its large impoverished Muslim population and oil industry, Western diplomats have long feared that Nigeria could be a prime target for al-Qaeda.

There has to be a recognition that in the last 10 years, a lot of the indicators about quality of life in Nigeria have gone the wrong direction

Hillary Clinton

But there have been no known al-Qaeda attacks in the country.

However, there have been several violent uprisings against the state by local radical Muslim sects.

Mrs Clinton was speaking at a "town hall" meeting with state department officials.

"I do think that Nigeria faces a threat from increasing radicalisation that needs to be addressed, and not just by military means," she said.

"There has to be a recognition that, in the last 10 years, a lot of the indicators about quality of life in Nigeria have gone the wrong direction.

"The information we have on the Christmas Day bomber so far seems to suggest that he was disturbed by his father's wealth and the kind of living conditions that he viewed as being not Islamic enough."

Following the alleged plot, security screening for Nigerians travelling to the US has been tightened.

Nigeria's government has condemned the measures, saying 150 million Nigerians should not be blamed for the actions of one man.

Nigerian officials have also sought to distance their country from the alleged bomber - stressing that he left the country 10 years ago.

Mr Abdulmutallab has reportedly admitted undergoing military training with al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen.

Somalia: Plan to Integrate Ex-Militias Into Security Forces from allAfrica.com

Nairobi — Mogadishu residents have welcomed plans by the interim government to step up the integration of an earlier, ousted, regime's security forces into its own army.

"People are fed up and are tired of the daily attacks and miserable living conditions in the camps [for the internally displaced]; the insurgents enjoy very little, if any, support," a local journalist told IRIN. "The population will support any plan that may get them back into their homes."

In the past, said Sheikh Abdulkadir Ali Omar, Minister of Interior in the Transitional Federal Government, forces of the former President Abdullahi Yusuf and those of the Islamic courts [ousted in December 2006] operated in different commands, "even though they were supposed to be one. What we are now doing is to make sure that there is only one command structure and one cohesive force," he told IRIN on 25 January.

He said the forces' integration was part of an all-out mobilization to get a grip on the security situation in the city and the country at large.

"By the time we finish, there will be an effective force that will deal with and defeat the anti-peace elements," Omar said.

He said there would be no chance that Al-Shabab or any other group would be able to infiltrate the force. "We know who the Islamic court forces are and there will be no possibility that someone from Al-Shabab will infiltrate."

The militant Al-Shabab group is one of two insurgents that has been waging war against government troops in Mogadishu and in parts of southern and central Somalia.

A civil society source in Mogadishu, who requested anonymity, told IRIN the government had to move with speed to reorganize its forces.

"What we now have is a combination of two forces that don't work well together," the source said, adding that the government needed not only to find a way of integrating the two but removing criminal elements within them. "There have been numerous complaints by civilians that people within the government forces were committing crimes."

Mogadishu has been experiencing daily attacks and fighting between government forces and the insurgents, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands.

Training force

At the same time, the European Union (EU) announced it would train 2,000 members of the Somali security forces in Uganda.

However, the civil society source said the offer, although welcome, was not enough. "That kind of force will not be enough if they are to subdue the insurgents and take full control of the country."

Interior Minister Omar said the government welcomed the offer. "We will take full advantage of it," he added.

Omar said the government saw regaining full control over Mogadishu as a top priority. "I cannot give you an exact date but I am confident that we will regain full control of the city."

Previous attempts by transitional governments to secure Mogadishu have failed.


[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

Nigeria: Defence Chiefs Warn Against Coup from allAfrica.com

Minna — On Monday, both the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Abdurahman Dambazau, warned military personnel not to plot a coup d'etat against President Umaru Yar'Adua, whose health condition Senators will debate today.

Dike pledged at the commissioning of the Nigerian Army Forward Operational Base in Abuja that the military under his leadership will stick to its constitutional role of defending Nigeria's territorial integrity without meddling in politics.

He said reports that the military seeks to take over governance because of Yar'Adua's poor health and incapacitation are not true.

His words: "I am compelled to remind everyone of the constitutional role of the Armed Forces, which is primarily anchored on the protection of Nigeria's territorial integrity. Meddling in political issues does not complement our constitutional role in any way, shape or form.

"I therefore warn all members of the Armed Forces to steer clear of politics. Ours is a military that is mindful of its past, conscious of its present, and hopeful of the future. The Nigerian Armed Forces will therefore not depart from their chosen path of honour.

"I urge all of you to remain focused and committed to the service of our fatherland. We must always remind ourselves that politics is better played by politicians.

"Also, I must not fail to stress that regardless of the imperfection of our political experiments, democracy remains the only acceptable form of governance. And as members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, we must defend it at all costs."

Dambazau also told military officers to beware of politicians who may want to use them to fan the embers of disunity.

"We want to state categorically that, in the Nigerian Army, our religion is espirit de corps while our tribe is the military profession, and our training has placed us above primordial sentiments. The barracks is not a political battlefield, and our soldiers are not tools to be used for creating disunity," he stressed.

He affirmed the Army's commitment to its constitutional responsibilities and to contribute meaningfully to the entrenchment of democracy.

"We have said repeatedly that, the subsisting democratic environment in the country today gives us a lot of advantage in the pursuance of professionalism.

"Let me remind all officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to remain loyal to constituted authorities, and be wholly committed to their constitutional responsibilities, and be apolitical at all times."

Dambazau exonerated the Army from the carnage in Jos, in which soldiers are accused of genocide, and warned the sponsors of violence countrywide to have a re-think in the interest of the nation.

He warned that Nigeria should not push its luck too far as any crisis that will make the United Nations to send in peace keepers will likely spell doom for the country.

"The Nigerian Army has in recent times noted with dismay some of the unnecessary, unwarranted, and inflammatory comments, statements, and utterances in some quarters capable of creating a sense of insecurity and dragging us back to the dark days of our nation's history.

"We are equally aware of the attempt by some people to drag the Army, which has remained neutral but absolutely committed to the survival of our nascent democracy, into the political affairs of this country.

"We also noted that some persons, who apparently do not value peace, are hell bent on creating disaffection between the military and the public, particularly with reference to the Jos crisis. Of course, we can safely assume that such persons find it impossible to commit other atrocities whenever we deploy to keep the peace, hence their frustration.

"Lest we forget, the military was swift and decisive in containing the Boko Haram debacle, and will therefore not hesitate to equally deal decisively with any form of mayhem whenever the need arises."

Dambazau said it is imperative that "the trouble makers in our midst," a negligible few, are not allowed to promote anarchy and their personal interest at the expense of the collective national interest and public order.

This is most important, he added, especially because experiences in peacekeeping operation have shown that at the end of it all, it is the poor, the elderly, women, and children who are the victims of such crises.

He reiterated that the military has made a lot of sacrifices for Nigeria's peace and stability, and will continue to maintain its neutral status, despite efforts to discourage that "through the campaigns of calumny recently experienced."

He noted that the military has seen the extent to which ethnic and religious crises ravaged many countries the world over.

"We participated in post-conflict stabilisation in many of such countries, we do not pray that we reverse the position in which citizens of other countries are sent to Nigeria for peace support operations.

"The Nigerian Army urges all stakeholders in our national affairs to eschew violence and promote peace and tranquility in Nigeria. This advice is borne out of our experiences of the consequences visited on countries that have gone through crisis lately."

Danbazau maintained that soldiers deployed in Jos are not given the order to shoot at anyone but maintain the peace.

"I have not received a mandate to enforce peace in Jos but only to maintain peace. We got directives to enforce peace during the Boko Haram crisis, and that was why we had to use minimal force in quelling the uprising.

"In the case of Jos, we were not given a mandate to enforce peace, so I can tell you authoritatively that no soldier deployed in Jos has fired a single shot at anybody. We have rules of engagement and we are sticking to them religiously."

In Abuja today, Senators will meet behind closed doors to deliberate on Yar'Adua's health and his continued absence from duty, 64 days after he was flown to Saudi Arabia for treatment.

They are expected to decide whether to issue a deadline to Yar'Adua to comply with Section 145 of the Constitution or transmit a letter to enable Vice President Goodluck Jonathan act in his absence.

Last Friday, the Abuja Federal High Court ordered the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to "deliberate within 14 days, consider and pass a resolution in accordance with Section 144 of the Constitution, whether the President is capable of discharging the functions of his office."

Daily Independent reported on Monday that Yar'Adua's loyalists are scrambling for a strategy to skirt the order.

It was the day his National Assembly (NASS) Adviser, Mohammed Aba-Aji, denied receiving any letter from the Villa for passage to lawmakers.

However, Northern Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, has blamed the rotational arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the vacuum in Aso Rock.

He cautioned those clamouring for the implementation of the party's constitution instead of the Nigerian Constitution, and warned of danger if the PDP toys with the future of Nigerians by its failure to respect the Nigerian Constitution.

He reminded them that the Nigerian Constitution is above the PDP constitution.

Said he: "Rotation is not in the Nigerian Constitution, it is only in the constitution of the PDP, and the Nigerian Constitution is very specific in solving the immediate problem we have on our hands today, which states that when the President is not there, the Vice President should take over.

"There is no rotation of the Presidency or any elective position in Nigerian Constitution, except as contained in the constitution of the PDP, which is only a political party.

"Therefore the portion of the Nigeria Constitution which stipulates that the Vice President should take over affairs in the absence of the President should be allowed to take its course."