The Diplomatic Times Review

October 25, 2005

Can Nigeria Improve its Image?

Eddy Ekpenyong of The Daily Champion of Lagos, Nigeria makes a though-provoking analysis of Nigeria's efforts to burnish its international image and regain the moral authority it once enjoyed in African affairs. To read Mr. Ekpenyong's analysis, please see "Rebranding Nigeria's Image."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

South Africa Raises Economic Growth Forecasts

"South Africa's economy will grow by an average of over 4 percent over the next three years, driven by investment spending by the government and its agencies, the National Treasury said on Tuesday," October 25, 2005, reports Lucia Mutikani of Reuters South Africa.

"The focus is clearly on accelerating growth. Accelerated growth expands the resource envelope. It makes a redistribution of wealth and income possible through the process of development, and not at its expense," Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told parliament, according to Reuters.

Ms. Mutikani said, "The government aims to raise the country's annual economic growth rate to 6 percent by 2010 from around 4 percent now to help reduce high levels of poverty and halve steep unemployment -- officially estimated at 26.5 percent." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:00 PM | Comments (0)

October 19, 2005

Ivory Coast Won't Share BCEAO Presidency

"Ivory Coast's president said on Tuesday [October 18, 2005] his country would not relinquish the governorship of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), rejecting a proposal by other members to rotate the job," according to Reuters. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:36 AM | Comments (0)

Tensions Between Eritrea, Ethiopia Still Simmering

"Eritrea reined in United Nations peacekeepers along its border with Ethiopia, leaving the force incapable of giving the world much warning if the Horn of Africa rivals were to clash again," according to an article in The Independent Online of South Africa.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:31 AM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2005

Lakshman Kadirgamar's Assassination Still Unsolved

Despite being convinced that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka assassinated Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar on August 12, 2005, Sri Lankan officials still have not proven it. Consequently, the government is extending the state of emergency imposed as a result of the widely condemned killing.

"We want to extend these emergency regulations because we have still not finished the inquiry into the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar," Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said "as parliament voted to extend the state of emergency for another month," according to Reuters.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

Liberia May Face Presidential Run-off November 8

The East African Standard of Kenya reported October 17, 2005 that, "Liberians will go to the polls again on November 8 for a run-off presidential vote if soccer great George Weah's lead remains too narrow to win outright in the first round, the elections commission" said October 17, 2005. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:39 AM | Comments (0)

'Getting Burned With Fire: Liberia's Decision,' an Analysis

Boto K. Bradford of the Liberian Observer has published an analysis of Liberia's presidential elections headlined "Getting Burned With Fire Liberia's Decision." I found it thought-provoking.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)

Did Liberia's Election Results Dash Charles Taylor's Hopes?

"Hopes that former Liberian president Charles Taylor's party would perform well on his behalf have been dashed by early results from last week's vote, which could undermine his vow to return to Liberia instead of facing war-crimes charges," the Mail & Guardian of South Africa reports.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:27 AM | Comments (0)

October 17, 2005

Who Will Lead Liberia?

The Vanguard of Nigeria, in an October 16, 2005 article headlined "Liberian elections and the making of a Weah phenomenon," rightly concluded that, "The successful conduct" of the October 11, 2005 presidential election in Liberia "is only a first step." The publication added:

The task before the next president is enormous. He has to fix public utilities, heal wounds, promote social interaction, repair the economy and galvanise the populate for competition on the global plane. If the truth be told, there are liabilities for the two leading candidates. [Ellen] Johnson-Sirleaf, an Americo-Liberian is likely to evoke memories of the dark past when the indigenous population was suppressed. She is largely seen as part of the old order who only opposed [former president Samuel Kanyon] Doe because he sacked the Tipotech regime on which she served. [George] Weah too is challenged by the limits of his experience. It is one thing to be a successful footballer, mean very well for the people, be selfless and appealing to the young ones, and another to rule a country like Liberia.

How much of the budgeting process does he know?

How many world leaders would readily accept him?

"How appealing would his presidency be to the political pillars who should serve as pillars of the republic? In another month, the picture would be very clear. Then, it could be said that Liberia is in the race for recognition in the comity of free nations.Some of Liberia's elites seem to be ashamed of Weah, the politician, for the reasons cited above..

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:13 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2005

Weah, Johnson-Sirleaf May be Headed for Run-off in Liberia

"Early results from Liberia's first post-war elections showed on Thursday [October 13, 2005] that soccer star George Weah and former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf may face a second-round run-off," according to Reuters. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:41 AM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2005

South Africa's Zuma to Go On Trial in 2006

Former [South African] deputy president Jacob Zuma's trial date has been set for July 31 next year in the Durban High Court, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Wednesday [October 12, 2005], according to the Independent Online.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:45 AM | Comments (0)

Liberia's Election Results to be Announced No Later Than October 25

The Liberian Observer reports that, "The National Elections Commission [of Liberia] plans to announce results" of the October 11, 2005 voting for president "no later than Wednesday, October 26, 2005." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:23 AM | Comments (0)

Liberians Anxiously Await Results of October 11 Elections

Nick Tattersall of Reuters reported today that, "Euphoria turned to nervous anticipation in Liberia on Wednesday [October 12, 2005] as election officials using battery-powered lanterns counted ballots through the night from the country's first postwar polls."

For more, please see "Liberians nervously await result of landmark polls."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:16 AM | Comments (0)

The Ghanaian Chronicle: Voting Went Well in Liberia

The Ghanaian Chronicle of West Africa reported October 12, 2005 that, "Voting in Liberia ended at 1800 hours (GMT) yesterday after a massive turn-out that showed the determination of the people to vote for peace so as to rebuild their shattered nation after years of ethnic and political conflict that killed some 200,000 and destroyed property and infrastructure." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:58 AM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2005

Three-phase Egyptian Elections Start November 9

On October 10, 2005, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that general elections will get underway in Egypt on November 9, 2005. The election will be in three phases. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:07 PM | Comments (0)

Unwanted African Migrants

Spain doesn't want more Africans, especially those seeking economic refuge, in its territory and nor does Morocco. In fact, according to the an October 10, 2005 BBC report, the Moroccans have "sent the first of several planes full of illegal West African migrants to Senegal."

"The migrants accuse Morocco's security forces of ill-treating them," the BBC reported, noting that, "The flight with 140 migrants arrived from Oujda, near the Algerian border.
Hundreds of migrants were dumped there after trying to enter or being expelled from Spanish enclaves in North Africa," the report said. Here's more.

Also see "Morocco criticized for dumping migrants in desert without food." This article on Spain's position on African migrants and the United Nation's response puts the issue into perspective.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:18 AM | Comments (0)

September 30, 2005

Algeria Claims Nearly 80% Voter Turnout For Peace Referendum

"Algerians have turned out en masse to vote on a peace charter presented by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika as the only hope of ending a conflict that has left 150,000 dead," according to Aljazeera.Net.

"But," the news outlet reported September 30, 2005, "opponents have dismissed Thursday's [September 29, 2005] vote as a pretext to extend presidential powers."

For more, please see "Algeria claims 80% voter turnout."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:40 AM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2005

Military AIDs Reportedly Widespread in Africa

"Across Africa, hospital wards are filling with military casualties," according to an Associated Press report in USA Today. "The cause: not another African conflict but AIDS."

Militaries are thought to be one of the conduits for the spread of AIDs in Africa. For more see, "U.S. works with South Africa to fight military AIDS."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:46 AM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2005

'Africa Must Imitate China and India'

Richard Akinjide, a former Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Nigeria, argued in a September 5, 2005 article in The Daily Champion of Nigeria that:

The black African governments, in their national interests, must shed their colonial mentality and embrace wholeheartedly the China and India examples in economic matters and in industrial revolution. In five years from now, China should surpass the United States as an industrial power. India is already number ten (10) industrial power in the world.

Mr. Akinjide said, "The only two (2) emerging markets in Africa are South Africa and Egypt! Nigeria is not. Yet Nigeria has enormous natural and human resources!"

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

A Continent For The Taking: A Review

The Daily Sun of Nigeria today published an informative review of New York Times Correspondent Howard French's book "A Continent For The Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa." I learned much from the review.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:52 PM | Comments (0)

Conference on Stopping Small Arms Proliferation Underway in Kampala

The East African, in its September 5-11, 2005 edition, says "Officials from the African Union, International Police (Interpol) and regional economic communities in West, South and East Africa are set to meet in Kampala, Uganda this week to devise strategies to strengthen the fight against the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW)." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

Will Sudan's ruling elite Renege on Deal to Share Power With SPLA?

Amil Khan at Reuters reported today that analysts and diplomats say "Sudan's ruling elite looks unwilling to share power with former southern rebels, despite agreeing to do so in a January peace deal to end Africa's longest civil war."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:27 PM | Comments (0)

Chad, Sudan Pledge to Reach Peace in Darfur

The Kuwait News Agency reported September 6, 2005 that, "Sudan and Chad pledged Tuesday to reach a comprehensive peace in the Sudanese western region of Darfur before yearend." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)

Not All Mauritanian Political Prisoners Receive Amnesty

Mauritania's justice minister, Mahfoudh Ould Bettah, says an amnesty for 115 political prisoners announced by Mauritania's new military rulers does not cover 20 Muslims "suspected of receiving training from an al Qaeda-linked group, the government said on September 3, 2005," according to Reuters Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)

September 05, 2005

Is Southern Africa A Growing Base for Muslim Fighters?

"The arrests of the two a U.S. embassy bomber and a man accused of plotting to set up a militant training camp in the United States have authorities investigating whether al-Qaeda members are using southern Africa as a base to raise funds, recruit supporters and provide logistical support for global attacks," according to The Associated Press. Here's the story.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)

August 25, 2005

Some Southern Sudanese Refugees Leery About Returning Home

An Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) article published in the East African said, "The recent death of Sudan's First Vice President and leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), John Garang, has dampened enthusiasm for repatriation among some Sudanese refugee communities in Uganda, humanitarian workers say."

"We have talked to many who had high hopes in Garang, but with his death and the riots that ensued, they seem to be changing their minds about immediate repatriation," Walter Oola, a field manager for the International Rescue Committee, told IRIN.

According to IRIN, "Kiryandongo refugee settlement in Uganda's western district of Masindi houses some 15,800 Sudanese refugees." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:11 AM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army Given an Ultimatum

"Sudanese First-Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit warned Wednesday [August 23, 2005] that his government in the south is ready to force out the Ugandan Lord Resistance Army (LRA)," according to Xinhua.Net.

Mr. Kiir, addressing at a public rally in Juba town in southern Sudan, "said seeking a solution for the southern Sudan-based LRA is a priority for his government in the south," Xinhua said, adding:

"Kampala and Khartoum signed an agreement in 2002 to allow the Ugandan army to launch cross-border operations against the notorious LRA, which has several bases in southern Sudan." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

August 22, 2005

Sudan Wants Probe of U.S.' 1998 Cruise Missile Attack on Khartoum

The Sudan Tribune reported August 22, 2005 that, "The government of Sudan reiterated a call for a United Nations probe into" the August 20, 1998, U.S. cruise missile strikes [on Sudan ] that destroyed "the Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory on suspicion that it was involved in producing chemical weapons and had links with Al-Qaeda supremo Osama bin Laden, who had lived in Sudan until two years earlier."

The strikes were in retaliation for Al-Qaida's August 7, 1998 truck bomb attack on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Here's the Sudan Tribune article.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:17 AM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2005

Drayton: Wealth of the West Was Built on Africa's Exploitation

Dr Richard Drayton, a "senior lecturer in imperial and extra-European history since 1500 at Cambridge University," notes in an August 20, 2005 article in The Guardian of London that:

Britain was the principal slaving nation of the modern world. In "The Empire Pays Back," a documentary broadcast by Channel 4 on Monday [August 15, 2005], Robert Beckford called on the British to take stock of this past. Why, he asked, had Britain made no apology for African slavery, as it had done for the Irish potato famine? Why was there no substantial public monument of national contrition equivalent to Berlin's Holocaust Museum? Why, most crucially, was there no recognition of how wealth extracted from Africa and Africans made possible the vigour and prosperity of modern Britain? Was there not a case for Britain to pay reparations to the descendants of African slaves?

Mr. Drayton said, "These are timely questions in a summer in which [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair and [U.S. President George W. [Bush], their hands still wet with Iraqi blood, sought to rebrand themselves as the saviours of Africa." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

East African Court of Justice May Close for Lack of Cases

"The East African Court of Justice is likely to collapse because no lawyer has filed a case before it since its inception," according to Maureen Mudi of The East African Standard. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

Liberia's Dual Citizenship Debate

The issue of dual citizenship is a hot topic among some writers and the politically active in Liberia and the diaspora. Jestina Doe-Anderson at the Liberian Observer published a thought-provoking analysis on the debate in the Observer's August 19, 2005 edition. Her position is that:

Given Liberia's current brain drain and the fact that most of our talent resides in the Diaspora, I will agree that our laws regarding dual citizenship should be revisited in order to encourage the repatriation of highly skilled and well-meaning Liberians who have renounced their Liberian citizenship in favor of that of another country, and to promote investment in Liberia. On the other hand, I am of the opinion that dual citizens should not hold sensitive government positions unless they officially renounce their second nationalities; and the right to vie for President or Vice President of the nation should continue to be restricted to natural-born citizens.

Ms. Doe-Anderson said, "Favoritism of natural-born citizens over naturalized citizens is warranted if one espouses the concept of birthright - that natural born Liberians have superior rights to those who obtain Liberian citizenship through naturalization, and to those who have relinquished their birthright by renouncing their Liberian citizenship for that of another nation."

For more, see " Is Dual Citizenship a Path to Progress Or a Departure From Nationalism?"

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

George Weah and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Battle for Liberian Presidency

"Who will become president of Liberia, George Oppong Weah or Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf?" asks Ben Browne in an informative article at The Liberia Times.com. I recommend it if you are interested in Liberian politics.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)

Britain to Compensate Africa for Medical Professionals Lured to UK

"Britain will seek ways to compensate African countries for the thousands of medical professionals who leave the continent to work in the UK health service, the government said on Friday," according to Reuters South Africa. Here's more..

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

Why Did Mugabe Reject Mediation by Old Friend Chissano?

Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, who was appointed by African Union (AU) Chairman, Olusegun Obasanjo to mediate the political dispute in Zimbabwe between Robert Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said Mr. Mugabe has rejected holding such talks, Joe Konopo, staff writer for Mmegi Online of Botswana reported August 19, 2005.

Mmegi Online quoted Mr. Chissano as saying on August 17, 2005:

This mission won't be a mission until there is a dialogue," "President Robert Mugabe has said there is no need for such talks. He said the Zimbabwean issue is an internal problem which they can handle through mechanisms and institutions available in Zimbabwe. Mugabe said they are fine.

Mr. Chissano, who was addressing a press conference at the 25th Annual Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit at the Grand Palm in Gaborone, Botswana, in southern Africa, added: "Don't ask me what is going on in the Zimbabwean peace talks because there are no talks."

For more, see "Mugabe rejects Chissano."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)

Mugabe and Mbeki: Will They Ever Get Along?

Patrick van Rensburg at Mmegi Online opined an August 19, 2005 article that Zimbabwean President "Robert Mugabe's resentment of the ANC [African National Congress] has a long history."

"It probably began with the ANC's support for the Afro-Asian Cairo Declaration that recognized Joshua Nkomo's ZAPU [Zimbabwe African People's Union], not ZANU[Zimbabwean African National Union] , as the authentic Zimbabwe Liberation Movement," he wrote.

For more, see "Will Mugabe ever get along with Mbeki?"

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:08 PM | Comments (0)

Choosing Allies to Fight Muslims in Africa is a Risky Business

Nick Tattersall of Reuters thinks that, "When it comes to fighting militants in Africa, choosing allies is a risky business." Read why.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2005

Polisario Front Releases Last of Its Moroccan Pows

The People's Liberation Front of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), which has fought since the 1970s for the independence of the Western Sahara, released 404 Moroccan prisoners of war August 18, 2005. "The prisoners were the last of the soldiers detained for up to 20 years" notes Al-Jazeera.

For Moroccan reaction to the release, see "Morocco welcomes last POWs from Polisario camps."

To learn more about the Western Sahara and its conflicts see Western Sahara Online. Also see "Western Sahara - a forgotten country!."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2005

HRW Wants Libya to Free Journalist Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said "The Libyan government should release journalist and Internet writer `Abd al-Raziq al-Mansuri and drop the charges against him or grant him a prompt and fair trial."

HRW said, "Libya's internal security force has detained al-Mansuri since last January in an apparent effort to silence a writer with critical views." He was arrested on January 12, 2005, in his hometown of Tobruk," for writing articles critical of the Libyan Government, HRW noted. He often wrote for the U.K.-based website, www.akhbar-libya.com. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)

Egypt's Presidential Election

August 17, 2005 "marks the start of Egypt's first ever competitive presidential election campaign, more noteworthy for the slight novelty of the process than for any uncertainty about its outcome," notes The Daily Star of Lebanon in an editorial in the August 17 issue.

The influential daily said,

Egyptians and international analysts see little likelihood that the opposition will be able to challenge President Hosni Mubarak in any meaningful manner, for key aspects of the process remain deeply flawed or constricted. The 77-year-old incumbent marks his 24th year of rule by having nine challengers run against him, making the exercise akin to an array of Egyptian beetle scarabs lined up next to the Sphinx.

The Daily Star said, "All this need not have been. Mubarak could have held a truly open and fair election, knowing that he would win because of the overwhelming advantage of familiarity and tradition in this ancient land that adores both." For more of the editorial see, "Imagine what Egypt's presidential election could have been."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

Britain, Algeria Close to Agreement on Deportation Pact

"Britain and Algeria are close to agreement on deporting Algerian nationals [thought to be a security risk in Britain] back to their country," according to United Press International (UPI), citing a Financial Times report.
Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)

Algeria, Pakistan to Sign 11 Agreements

Sajid Chaudhry reported in the August 17, 2005 edition of the Daily Times of Pakistan that, "Pakistan and Algeria are all set to ink 11 important agreements and MoUs [Memoranda of Understanding] in a crucial inaugural meeting of the Pak-Algeria Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC)."

The meeting is scheduled for September 19-20, 2005, in Islamabad." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

World Bank Urges Morocco to Speed Up Economic Growth

"Morocco must speed up economic growth and create more jobs if it is to avoid social problems that would be hard to deal with, the World Bank said in a report titled Strategy for Cooperation 2005-2009," and released in Rabat, Morocco, August 12, 2005, according to Middle East Online.

Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)

Radio Sawa Asks forNew Broadcasting Deadline in Morocco

Morocco Times.com reported August 16, 2005 that , the Broadcasting Board of Directors (BBD) of the United States "asked the Moroccan government to inform the HACA [High Authority of the Audio-visual Communication] that Radio Sawa has the status of a governmental agency."

The request was made "in a letter to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent through the US embassy in Rabat," the Moroccan capital, the publication said.

Morocco Times. com also said, "The BBD, which also manages the radio service Voice of America and the Arabic language channel Al-Hurra, asked for the necessary radio-diffusion licenses to be delivered to present BBD programs in Morocco, in accordance with an agreement signed by Morocco and the United States in 1984, and a broadcasting authorization, dating back to 2003." Read more here.

By the way, Radio Sawa was established by the Bush Administration in an effort to propagandize "the youthful population of Arabic-speakers in the Middle East by providing up-to-date news, information and entertainment on FM and medium wave radio stations throughout the region."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)

U.S. Opens Talks With New Mauritanian Leaders

"The US government has opened talks with the leaders of a military coup in Mauritania days after condemning them for toppling the previous government, which was an ally in the US-backed war against terror," according to FT.com.

For more see, "Washington opens talks with Mauritania coup leaders.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)

Mauritania Assures Oil Companies Contracts Will Be Honored

Mauritania`s ruling Military Council for Justice and Democracy (CMJD) will respect all agreements, which the regime of deposed President Maaoya Sid`Ahmed Ould Taya signed with oil companies operating in the country, according to the new Oil and Energy Minister Sidi Ali Ould Sidi Mohamed," Angola Press reported August 15, 2005. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:10 PM | Comments (0)

Qatar Reportedly Offers Taya Asylum

"Qatar has offered asylum to Mauritania`s ousted President Maaouya Ould Sid`Ahmed Taya almost two weeks after he was overthrown in a bloodless coup, a Gambian official" said on August 16, 2005, according to Antara News of Qatar and other publications. Read why.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:58 PM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2005

Algerian President Unveils Draft Charter for Peace

"Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has unveiled a draft charter for peace and national reconciliation that will be put to a referendum on September 29," 2004, according to News.com.au of Australia. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:06 AM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2005

SADC Leaders to Meet in Botswana August 17-18, 2005

"The Heads of state of the 13-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) meet August 17 and 18, 2005 in Botswana under growing pressure on Africa to address Zimbabwe's woes," reports the Reuters news service. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

Some Mauritanians Want Ex-President Taya to Face Trial

ArabicNews.Com reports that, "Some Mauritanian opposition organizations abroad called on the new ruling military council to try the toppled President Mu'aweya Weeld Seidi Ahmad al-Taye, and deal with all pending issues immediately including comprehensive political pardons." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)

Tamil National Alliance's Statement on the Kadirgamar Assassination

On August 14, 2005, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said, "The killing of Honorable Lakshman Kadirgamar,[Sri Lanka's foreign minister] MP, PC has caused shock and consternation." "We strongly disapprove of the killing," TNA said in a press release. "We convey our deep condolences to Ms. Kadirgamar, the children and all other members of the Kadirgamar family." The TNA also urged that "the peace process be recommenced in a meaningful way. That would be the only way to sustain the Ceasefire Agreement and discourage all forms of violence," TNA concluded

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)

August 12, 2005

African Union Clarifies Position on Mauritania

Onwuka Nzeshi Abuja of This Day of Lagos, Nigeria, reported August 12, 2005, that, "The African Union (AU) yesterday [August 11, 2005] denied in its entirety, media reports that the continental body had soft-pedaled on its avowed position to isolate military regimes and all forms of despotic governments across Africa."

For more see "AU Clarifies Position On Mauritania."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

VOA Looks at Muslims of African Descent in the United States

On August 12, 2005, the VoIce of America (VOA) gave its foreign listeners--it is illegal for the VOA to broadcast to Americans since it is a propaganda organ of the American government--a report on Muslims of African descent in the United States. It coincided with a report on Muslims in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)

The VOA Looks at 'Radical Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa'

In an article headlined "Radical Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa," the Voice of America (VOA), which can only be heard in the U.S. over shortwave radio since it is illegal for the U.S. Government to openly propagandize American citizens, told its foreign listeners August 12, 2005, that "Sub-Saharan Africa, the region south of the Sahara Desert," "encompasses more than 50 countries and about 250-million Muslims, or one-fifth of the worlds Muslim population."

The VOA added:

Traditionally home to the moderate and more tolerant Islamic Sufi sect, Sub-Saharan Africa is now grappling with pockets of radical Islamists seeking to establish strict Islamic law among some of the regions more disenfranchised communities.

The propaganda organ quoted Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui [maz-ROO-wi] of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies at New York State University at Binghamton as saying "radical Islam" is spreading in two major forms.

There's the revivalist trend, which is not necessarily politically explosive, and theres the radicalizing trend, which can be politically explosive. The revivalists can be quite conservative and politically accommodating. You'll find aspects of that in some African countries, including on the eastern seaboard. But the radicalizing tendency which is more recent is definitely politically ominous in some respects, although the causes of it have to be sought beyond the borders of the African continent.

The VOA said, "Somalia, Eritrea and Kenya are among the Sub-Saharan countries where people are increasingly leaning toward radicalism."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)

U.N.'s Sudan Mission to Help Investigate Garang's Death

The "United Nations Mission in Sudan, headed by Jan Pronk, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special representative there, will join the [Sudanese] government and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the investigation into the death of John Garang in a helicopter crash" on July 30, 2005, according to a Sudan Radio Service article in the Sudan Tribune.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:11 PM | Comments (0)

Excerpts Salva Kiir's August 11, 2005 Speech

Sudanese vice-president Salva Kiir addressed the Sudanese people on live television August 11, 2005, shortly after he was sworn. He replaced the late Vice-President John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash on July 30, 3005.

Mr. Kiir is also president of the Southern Sudan, which is semi-autonomous. Here are excerpts from the speech.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:56 PM | Comments (0)

Playing The Oil Card in Sudan

The Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), "the rebel group that waged a 21-year civil war against the Muslim North" in Sudan and "will soon form the government of south Sudan," owns "50 per cent of its shares of the London-based White Nile Oil company," which will develop "the lucrative Block Ba oil concession in south Sudan," according to The Times Online of London,

"In return," the publication said in an August 13, 2005 report, "the SPLM awarded White Nile a 60 per cent stake in the lucrative Block Ba oil concession in south Sudan, thought to contain up to five billion barrels of oil."

The Times said, "The highly controversial move--the French oil giant Total already claims ownership of the oilfield-- sent White Nile's shares soaring from 10p to 138½p in the days after their market debut in early February."

Are the shares still high in the wake of the July 30, 2005 death of SPLM leader and Sudanese Vice-President John Garang, in a helicopter crash in south Sudan? The answer is here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)

IFPRI's 'Food Security Outlook in Africa to 2025'

The International Food Policy Research Institute has issued a paper that "explores and evaluates the consequences of various policies related to food security in Africa based on projections for the year 2025, focusing on agricultural production." Here is the August 2005 report.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:50 AM | Comments (0)

Ten Presidential Candidates Set for Egypt's September 2005 Election

"Egypt's electoral commission has approved 10 candidates for the country's first contested presidential election in September" 2005," reports the BBC and other news sources.

Does anyone doubt that President Hosni Mubarak will win?

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:40 AM | Comments (0)

Al-Ahram Weekly Looks at Moorish Politics in Mauritania

Gamal Nkrumah of Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly contends in the August 11-17, 2005 edition that "...it requires a PhD in politics, sociology and anthropology to understand" Mauritania's "myriad internal disputes, which are invariably intertwined with race, ethnicity and class."

He said, " On the face of it matters are very simple: the Moors of Arab and Berber stock, the fair-skinned lords of the land, have controlled the country since independence from France in 1960. The black- skinned non-Arabs are relegated to the status of second-class citizens. What, however, puzzles outsiders is the proliferation of internal squabbles among the country's ruling Arab-Berber elites."

See "Moorish mayhem" more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:32 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2005

Chissano Appointed Mediator in Zimbabwe's Political Dispute

On August 10, 2005, African Union Chairman Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria appointed former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano "as mediator in the political crisis between the two main political forces in Zimbabwe," according to Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)

Senegal's President Willing to Help Mauritania's New Leaders

President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal on August 8, 2005 said he would support Mauritania`s new regime in its efforts to establish democratic institutions," according to Angola Press.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

African Union Holds Talks With Mauritania's New Leaders

Nigerian Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji, who headed an African Union delegation sent to Mauritania on August 10, 2005 after President Maaouya Ould Taya's oppressive, 21-year old rule was ended in a bloodless coup on August 3, 2005, said:

We are reassured after meeting all the various political parties of the reasons for the change and, some even say, the necessity of the change. There is something of a national consensus... but Mauritania will not be restored (to full AU membership), that is clear, until there are elections, until there is a democratic system.

The AU has urged The 17-member Military Council for Justice and Democracy to restore civilian government. The council said it would do so in two years. Here' more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)

A Commentary on Change in Mauritania

Mohamad Al Ashab at the London-based Dar Al-Hayat argued August 10, 2005 that "Neither the Americans nor anyone else have the right to object if a certain regime was overthrown by a coup détat." He is referring to Mauritania. Here's Mr. Ashab's analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)

Jallow: Mauritania is an 'An All Too Familiar Story'

Galleh Jallow, founding publisher of The Independent in The Gambia, West, Africa, has a potent commentary on the August 3, 2005 coup in Mauritania. In fact, he contends in an August 9, 2005 post at allAfrica.com that:

The current scenario in Mauritania is all too familiar to observers of African politics. Total disenchantment with an African despot who's been in power for decades provides an excuse for a group of semi-illiterate soldiers to seize power. To appease the world, the soldiers declare that they are only out to root out corruption and return the country to civilian rule within a few years.

The Howard University candidate for a doctorate in African Studies said, "The condemnations continue for some time and then die down, replaced by the sleepy and indifferent silence of the pre-coup days." Here's more of his hard-hitting analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

Former Mauritanian President Moves to The Gambia

Mauritania's ousted President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya left Niger for Gambia today, [August 10, 2005] officials said," according to Reuters. Here's more.

Meanwhile, Mr. Yaya has vowed to return to Mauritania. I think he would be wise to stay away. He could lose his life if he returns.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:40 AM | Comments (0)

Mauritania 'Must Gain Confidence of Global Institutions'

Bechir Saade, staff writer for The Daily Star of Lebanon noted in an August 10, 2005 article that, "As Mauritania prepared to produce 75,000 barrels of crude oil a day from its offshore Chinguetti field as of early next year, a military coup displaced pro-U.S. President Maaouya Ould Taya" on August 3, 2005.

He called Mauritania "An Arab country that has maintained close diplomatic ties with Israel since 1999, and one of the few countries in the world where slavery is still practiced. Mauritania is no ordinary political entity, " he added.

"But for the world economy and its influential players," he added, "what matters is that Mauritania reportedly sits on one billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas."

That attracts Westerners the way carrion attracts buzzards and crack cocaine attracts junkies.

See "Government must gain confidence of global institutions" for more of Mr. Saade's analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)

U.S. Eyeing 'West Africa's Oil-rich Gulf of Guinea'

"Over the next five years, 1 in 5 new barrels of oil on the global market will come from the Gulf of Guinea, and more than $33 billion will be invested in the region, 40 percent of it from American companies, the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates," according to The Associated Press.

The wire service said, the Gulf of Guinea, which stretches "roughly from Ivory Coast to Angola, is relatively unfamiliar to U.S. [military] forces, and tours of the region such as last month's by the Coast Guard are aimed at shaking hands, gaining familiarity and assessing threats to oil access."

I think think this will make Africa a long-term battleground in the war between the U.S. and Al-Qaida. Both have troops in Africa, especially East Africa. Al-Qaida has already attacked U.S. embassies in East Africa.Here's more.

Also see "A Strategic U.S. Approach to Governance and Security in the Gulf of Guinea."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:12 AM | Comments (0)

Qathafi Reflects on Arab-African Cultural Relations

Libyan Leader Muammar al-Qathafi delivered an informative and thought-provoking address at the Arab-African Cultural Relations: Future Vision symposium held in Sirte, Libya, which drew writers groups from Africa and Asia. Here's the entire address.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:53 AM | Comments (0)

At Least Four Suspects in London Bombings Born in East Africa

"At least three of the four suspects in the July 21, 2005, attempted bombings on the London subway and a bus were born in East Africa, where al-Qaida-linked groups still operate and may be growing in strength, according to a new assessment by counterterrorism experts," the Associated Press reported August 8, 2005. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:24 AM | Comments (0)

Why Are U.S. Troops in Lamu, Kenya?

Most Americans probably have no idea that U.S. soldiers are on active duty in Lamu, Kenya, in East Africa. In fact, I can imagine people asking: "Where the hell is Lamu, Kenya?"

"It is a strange place to find the US military on active duty," wrote Christian Science Monitor correspondent Mike Pflanz in an August 9, 2005 dispatch. "The soldiers on patrol here are part of the 1,500-strong Horn of Africa Combined Joint Task Force stationed in a former French Foreign Legion base in the tiny Red Sea state of Djibouti."

Of course they are patrolling a predominantly Muslim island as part of the so-called "War on Terrorism." See "US troops keep watch along Kenya's coast." .

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:19 AM | Comments (0)

August 06, 2005

Taya Says Prospects Were Promising Under His Rule

During an August 5, 2005 interview with Radio France International, former Mauritanian President Maaoya Sid'Ahmed Ould Taya, who was ousted in an August 3, 2005 coup, while returning home from the funeral of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, said his government "had done much more than one could have reasonably expected."

"Prospects were promising economically, socially and culturally," he said. "The country was run smoothly as a pluralist democracy."

If that's true, why did so many people celebrate his downfall. Why were opposition leaders in Prison? See "Ex-Mauritania leader defends record."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

Was Garang Preparing to Evict Joseph Kony From Southern Sudan?

On August 5, 2005, Sudanese Online.com republished a Washington Times article that makes an interesting observation for anyone investigating the death of Sudanese First Vice President and southern leader John Garang

The August 4, 2005 Times article, written by Blake Lambert, led off with this:

The mind of Joseph Kony, the self-styled messianic leader of the Lords Resistance Army [of Uganda], remains elusive terrain, but he probably celebrated the death of Sudanese First Vice President and southern leader John Garang.

"Few doubt that Mr. Kony viewed Mr. Garang, the founder of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, as a nemesis hostile to his interests

The Times quoted Ugandan army spokesman Lt. Col. Shaban Bantarizaas saying:

Garang was opposed to [the LRA] as a freedom fighter and a liberator, and now in his final days as president of southern Sudan, whose people were also under LRA terror.

The publication, noting that, "The rebels killed nine Sudanese in a camp for internally displaced people near the town of Juba last month, said, "Before the crash in a Ugandan presidential helicopter killed Mr. Garang and 13 others on board along the Uganda-Sudan border on Saturday [July 30, 2005] he vowed to expel from its sanctuary in his region."

"Kony won't be hiding there for long. It is not only Kony, but also all the militias who have been operating in the area," he told the majority government-owned New Vision daily in his final interview," the paper said. "We need to provide peace, security and stability."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

Uganda Calls for Emergency IGAD Summit on Sudan

The United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) reports that, "Uganda has called for an emergency summit of the member-states of the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) following the death of Sudan's First Vice President, John Garang."

IRIN, citing "a senior [Ugandan] foreign ministry official," said, "It was announced August 3, 2005 that, "Invitations had been issued to heads of IGAD member-states to a summit proposed for a date around 20 August [2005]."

"IGAD mediated the peace process that culminated" in the January 9, 2005 "Comprehensive Peace Agreement" signed in Kenya by by Mr. Garang and Sudanese President Umar el-Bashir, "ending over two decades of civil war that killed close to two million people," IRIN said.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

SPLA Urges Christian Leaders to Help Restore Call in Sudan

Catholic World News (CWN) reported August 5, 2005 that, "The Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) is urging Christian leaders in Africa to redouble their efforts at reconciliation in Sudan, in order to stem the violence that has swept that country following the death of Dr. John Garang.

Mr. Garang, "a leader for the SPLA for 21 years, died on July 30 when the Ugandan military helicopter he was flying in crashed in southern Sudan, killing all the 17 people aboard it," CWN noted, adding:.

There has not been a clear explanation of the cause of the crash, and many residents of southern Sudan are convinced that the accident was staged in order to kill Garang, the former rebel leader who had become Sudan's vice-president after negotiating a peace pact with the Khartoum government.

If Mr. Garang's death was the result of sabotage, two important questions are: Why would someone kill him? Second, Who wanted him dead?

For more see, "Sudanese urge Church leaders to help restore calm."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2005

Taya: 'I Was Stunned by the Coup d'etat'

Former Mauritanian PresidentMaaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, who was ousted in a bloodless coup on August 3, 2005, told Radio France Internationale from Niger, where he is in exile: My situation reminds me of the old adage: 'God, save me from my friends, I'll take care of my enemies.

"I was stunned by the coup d'etat [...] and even more so when I heard who were the authors," Mr Taya said, according to an August 6, 2005 BBC report on the Radio France Internationale interview.

Did he think he was invincible and loved by most Mauritanians? Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

Uganda Wants Bodies of Ugandans Killed in Copter Crash

The Monitor Online of Uganda reports that Uganda's "Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, is in Sudan to ask the Sudanese government to immediately release the bodies of the seven Ugandans who died in the plane crash with [Dr. John] Garang last weekend."

The publication said, "The government spokesman and Minister of Information, Dr Nsaba Buturo, yesterday [August 5, 2005] told journalists at the weekly press briefing that the government wants the bodies released immediately so as to ease the agony of the bereaved families.

"We have agreed that everything should be done quickly to reduce the agony of the families," the minister said, according to The Monitor. "We want the country to move on." .

The Monitor said, "Rugunda on Wednesday [August 3, 2005] led a team of forensic experts from Uganda to Juba to help in the investigations into the cause of the presidential chopper crash." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)

Mr. Museveni's Speculation on John Garang's Death

"Uganda's president [Yoweri Museveni] said today the chopper crash that killed Sudanese vice president John Garang may not have been an accident, dropping a bombshell on thousands mourning the death of the ex-rebel leader in south Sudan," the East Africa Standard of Kenya reported August 6, 2005.

"His comments came as thousands of southern Sudanese volunteers descended on a former military training ground in Juba to help prepare Garang's burial site ahead of his funeral on Saturday [August 6, 2005] that is expected to draw some 500,000 people," the publication said.

If the Ugandan leader made the statements attributed to him, he chose an inopportune time to do so. Many southern Sudanese already believe he was assassinated. Upon hearing of his death, many took to the streets of Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, in protest. Dozens died as a result.

See "Uganda says Garang death may not be an accident for Mr. Museveni's statement

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

A Yoweirei Statement on Plane Crash Disturbs Sudan's Leaders

The Sudan Tribune reported August 6, 2005 that, "The Sudanese government said today that it was extremely disturbed by the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni's statement regarding the plane crash that killed the late first vice-president and Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) leader, John Garang, after his visit to Kampala." The paper added:

Speaking to Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the minister of information and telecommunication, who is also the official government spokesman, Abd-al-Basit Sabdarat, said that the cause of the disturbance was that President Museveni was the one who informed the government that the plane was missing after more than 12 hours from its take off from Kampala and he also knew that the plane was Ugandan and the plane crew was also Ugandan, and it also departed from his country.

The publication said, "Sabdarat added that President Museveni also knew that the Sudanese government had set up a technical fact finding committee to investigate the plane crash and that the committee would begin its work after the deceased was buried" on August 6, 2005.

For more, see "Sudan "extremely disturbed" by Ugandan president's comment."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)

John Garang and Sudanese Oil

In an August 6, 2005 editorial headlined "After Garang," Arab News said Sudan Vice-President John Garang's

"death within three weeks of becoming vice president under an East African-brokered peace deal may well have been an accident, though yesterday [August 5, 2005] Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, in whose crashed helicopter the SPLM(Sudan People's Liberation Movement) leader perished, said he himself was still unsure. Angry supporters who rioted in Khartoum and Juba believed the worst and unfortunately their intemperate response caused over 100 deaths.

The SPLM leader had reportedly granted oil exploration rights in southern Sudan to British interests, in defiance of concessions previously granted to French concerns. Maybe outside hands were indeed at work. It seems impossible, however, that Sudan's President Omar Bashir could be linked to any conspiracy theory. He and his government have worked intensely to bring about a peace that had eluded all of his predecessors.Arab News said, and I concur, "It was clearly not in his [Bashir's} interests to see such hard-won success thrown away with the death of Garang. The president, clearly shocked, has called for calm and insisted that the peace deal must stay in place."

For a look at the role oil plays in Sudanese politics and war, see Human Rights Watch's overview of oil in Sudan. Also see "Sudan, Oil, and Human Rights."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:46 PM | Comments (0)

African Union Suspends Mauritania

The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council has suspended Mauritania from participation in all AU activities until "the restoration of constitutional order," in the Northwest African nation.

That is likely soon unless a foreign element backs a countercoup. The Military Council for Justice and Democracy, said in a statement released August 4, 2005: blockquote>"The armed forces and security forces have unanimously decided to put a definitive end to the totalitarian activities of the defunct regime under which our people have suffered so much over recent years.

"This council pledges before the Mauritanian people to create favorable conditions for an open and transparent democracy. Meanwhile, Joseph LeBaron, the U.S. ambassador to Mauritania, his French counterpart, and "ambassadors from African, Arab and western countries"met August 4, 2005 with Colonel Vall, according to the Voice of America and other publications.

In a statement issued at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia August 4, 2005, the AU said, the "Council decides to suspend Mauritania's participation in all AU activities until the restoration of constitutional order in the country."

Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, said, "The 53-nation group reiterated its firm condemnation of the August 3 [2005] coup d'etat, in which military officers led by national police chief Ely Ould Mohamed Vall ousted President Maaouyia Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who was in Saudi Arabia attending the August 2, 2005 funeral of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. The king died August 1, 2005

On August 3, 2005, the AU said:

The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Alpha Oumar Konaré, is following with concern reports about a coup attempt in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

The Chairperson of the Commission, recalling the solemn Declaration on unconstitutional changes of Government of Lomé, reaffirms the total rejection by the AU of any unconstitutional change of government and its commitment to the respect of constitutional order. He firmly condemns any seizure or any attempt to seize power by force.

While the AU, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, The United States, France and other nations have condemned the coup, it seems popular with many Mauritanians, who had suffered since 1984 under President Taya. According to the Associated Press,

Thousands rallied Thursday [August 4, 2005] to support the military junta that toppled Mauritania's pro-Western president a day earlier, as the African country's top leader met with the U.S. and French ambassadors,

Mr. LeBaron reiterated the U.S. position on the coup. That position, according to acting State Department Spokesman Thomas Casey, is that, "We oppose any attempts by rogue elements to change governments through extra-constitutional or violent means. As I understand it, the situation on the ground is still fluid but the Military Council for Justice and Democracy as it is calling itself, appears to be in control in the capital. Certainly we intend to work closely with the African Union and the U.N. and other regional and international partners to restore constitutional rule to Mauritania as quickly as possible."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:03 AM | Comments (0)

August 04, 2005

Why is Israel Closely Monitoring Mauritanian Coup?

Al-Jazeera.net reports that, "Israel is closely watching developments in Nouakchott [the Mauritanian capital] after Wednesday's [August 3, 2005] military coup that has overthrown President Maaouya Sid'Ahmed Taya.

The publication said, "An Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Aljazeera.net on Thursday [August 4, 2005] that Israel was watching "how things were unfolding in Nouakchott."

"Israel has an embassy there, like many other countries. We are waiting to see how things will unfold," said Mark Regev, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman.Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:29 AM | Comments (0)

Mauritania's Oil: Who Will Exploit It?

Jonathan Clayton of Times Online reported August 4, 2005 that, "Mauritania, one of the few countries in the world where slavery is openly practised with semi-official endorsement, is reportedly sitting on one billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas."

Mr. Clayton's article is headlined "Oil wealth triggers army coup."

"Critics say that Mr. Taya was using the threat of Islamic militancy to clamp down on any opponents while preparing to share the spoils among his close associates, mainly fellow Moors, a tiny minority of the country's 2.8 million people," Mr. Clayton wrote, noting that, "In June 2003, just as Western oil companies began to move into the country, there was a bloody uprising against Mr Taya. It was suppressed after several days and was followed by repression of all critics, sparking two more coup attempts last August and September." See

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2005

A Look at Forty years of Politics in the Sudan

Mohammed Othman Habibullah, writing in a special issue of Al-Siyassa Al-Dawliya said:

Although Sudan was one of the first Arab and African countries to achieve independence, in early 1956, the period that followed has been characterized by instability and civil war in the south of the country has led to a series of military coups.

"Since independence," he noted, "the country has passed through six different eras of rule." He describes them in "Forty years of Politics in the Sudan."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

Yemen Times Looks At The Mauritanian Coup

Hassan Al-Haifi of the Yemen Times reported on the August 3, 2005 coup d'etat in Mauritania and gives a brief account of events that finally led to the ouster of President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, after many attempts over the years.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:56 PM | Comments (0)

The Mauritanian Dilemma

The African Union, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the United States have, along with other leaders around the world, condemned the August 3, 2005 coup in Mauritania.

However, if news reports emanating from the African nation are accurate, many "Jubilant Mauritanians celebrated the overthrow" of President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who was attending the funeral of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia when he was ousted by a group calling itself the "Military Council for Justice and Democracy. The coup makers say they want "transparent and fair democratic institutions" and will rule for two years.

The council is headed by Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, Mauritania's director of national security.

Questions: Will the Bush Administration try to restore to power President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who, at this writing, is currently in Niamey, the capital of Niger?

Will France intervene in its former colony?

There are no definitive answers, yet, only speculation, which we will avoid in this instance. Stay tuned.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:48 PM | Comments (0)

Rebecca Garang Rules Out Foul Play in Husband's Death

The Standard Online of Kenya reported August 3, 2005 that Rebecca Nyandeng Garang, "The widow of Sudan vice-president Dr John Garang, yesterday [August 2, 2005] said she did not suspect foul play" in her husband's July 30, 2005 death in a helicopter crash in Southern Sudan.

"I don't agree (with the foul play theory)," she is quoted as saying. "God creates people for a purpose. Garang had done it and had finished his mission. It was time for my husband. It had come and I will take it like that."

Some of his followers aren't taking it like that, since rumors swirling around some parts of Sudan say he was assassinated. A Ugandan team and investigators from other hations reportedly have launched an investigation into Mr. Garang's death. For more, see "Garang widow rules out foul play."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:27 AM | Comments (0)

Salva Kiir Reportedly Will Inherit Garang's Vice-President's Post

According to an Agence France Press report in the Sudan Tribune, "Salva Kiir, who has been appointed the new leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) following the death of John Garang, is assured of inheriting Garang's other job as first vice president [of Sudan] as well, diplomats said Tuesday," August 2, 2005.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:49 AM | Comments (0)

Who Is Salva Kiir Mayardit?

The BBC has a profile of Salva Kiir Mayardit, the man the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has "chosen as successor to Dr. John Garang, Sudan's vice-president who was also president of southern Sudan.

Mr. Garang died in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005. An investigation has been launched to determine if foul play was involved.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:38 AM | Comments (0)

Is It Back To The Brink For Sudan?

The Times Online of London contends in its August 3, 2005 lead article that, for Sudan, the death of Sudanese Vice-President John Garang in a July 30, 2005 helicopter crash "comes at the worst possible moment, adding:

The peace accords that ended 21 years of civil war have barely begun to take root. The fractious politics of an area riven by commercial and tribal rivalries have not yet been assuaged by the promised oil wealth. Sudan's own unity, vigorously championed by Dr Garang after his reconciliation with Khartoum, will come under strain again, not only in the south but also in Darfur where the brutal ethnic-cleansing campaign has been neither halted nor reversed. Suspicion runs deep in Africa's largest country, which itself harbours rebel groups from neighbouring states.

"There will be many," the publication said, "remembering the shooting down of the presidents plane that triggered the genocide in Rwanda, who will refuse to believe that there was not a conspiracy to kill Dr Garang, making reconciliation all the more difficult."

See "Back to the brink" for more of The Times' analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)

August 02, 2005

South Sudan Leaders Moved Fast on Garang Successor

China Daily has interesting photographs of Rebecca Nyandeng, widow Sudanese vice president John Garang, who died July 30, 2005 in a helicopter crash, and other relatives and supporters mourning his death.

There is also a photograph of Salva Kiir, deputy leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), who was chosen August 1, 2005 to replace Mr. Garang as leader of the southern Sudanese. The Reuters article accompanying the photos is quite informative. See "South Sudan leaders move fast on Garang succession."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:26 AM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2005

Why Did John Garang's Death Cause Riots, Loss of Life in Sudan?

Why did the death of Dr. John Garang lead to rioting and the deaths of 36 people in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, on August 1, 2005?

The Ugandan Government said poor weather caused the July 30, 2005 helicopter crash that Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir said "resulted in the death of John Garang and six people accompanying him as well as seven members of the crew" of the Ugandan MI-172, Russian-built, executive helicopter returning him to his New Site base in Southern Sudan.

He had been in Uganda for talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and US and European diplomats about the progress in implementing the January 9 peace deal to end the long-running war between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army and the Sudanese Government, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).

Could it be that some of Mr. Garang's followers thought the crash was caused by "sabotage or terrorism?" Was it?

It's too early to tell. However, AFP reported August 1, 2005 that, President Museveni "told Ugandan lawmakers that he had ordered a probe into the crash and said his government had contacted an unspecified foreign power to confirm it had been an accident and not the result of "sabotage or terrorism." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)

Salva Kiir is Southern Sudan's New Leader

Salva Kiir is the new leader of southern Sudan, according to an Agence France Presse article in the Sudan Tribune. He replaces Sudanese Vice President John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash on July 30, 2005.

AFP said he "should also become vice president under the peace deal signed in January [2005] to end the 21-year civil war between SPLM/A [the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army] rebels and the Khartoum government."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)

SPLM Says Southern Sudanese Will Stick to Peace Deal

Speaking frm Nairobi, Kenya, Salva Kiiri, deputy commander of the former rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), took the "opportuniy" August 1, 2005, " to assure the southern Sudanese in particular and the Sudanese people in general, that we in the SPLM/A leadership will continue the vision and the objective of the movement that Dr. John Garang de Mabior has articulated and hoped to implement."

"We also want to assure everyone that the leadership and cadres of the SPLM/A will remain united and strive to faithfully implement the comprehensive peace agreement."

For more see, "Sudan's SPLM says Garang death wont hurt peace deal."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:26 AM | Comments (0)

Garang's Body Taken to Former Rebel Headquarters

Agence France Presse reports that, "The body of Sudanese Vice President and southern leader Dr. John Garang, who died in a weekend helicopter crash, was brought to his former headquarters in the town of New Site." The wire service cited "an official" as its source." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:50 AM | Comments (0)

July 31, 2005

Sudanese First Vice-President John Garang is Dead

Former Sudanese First Vice-President Dr. John Garang is dead, according to news reports from Africa. He died in a helicopter crash "while flying back from Uganda to Sudan, a UN official says," according to Al-Jazeera.Net. Here's is background on Mr. Garang.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:42 PM | Comments (0)

Sudanese Vice-President Garang Still Missing

Agence France Presse reports that "Sudanese state television said that the authorities were still trying to locate an aircraft carrying First Vice President John Garang," a day after it disappeared.

AFP noted that Mr. "Garang, a former southern rebel leader who was sworn in as vice president only on July 9, [2005] played a key role in reaching the peace deal earlier this year, ending 21 years of civil war that killed more than two million people."

"He had been in Uganda where he held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. According to AFP, an "official said that Garang and his entourage left Museveni's ranch in the western Ugandan town of Rwakitura in a Ugandan government helicopter on Saturday [July 30, 2005] during daylight.

At some point during the flight they encountered bad weather and tried to go around it," AFP said, adding: "Radio contact was then lost and it is unclear what happened to the helicopter." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:18 PM | Comments (0)

July 30, 2005

Is Eritrea Detaining Relatives of Military Service Evaders?

PolitInfo.Com has a July 29, 2005 report that says, "Amnesty International (AI) is accusing the Eritrean government of arresting several hundred relatives of people who have evaded or deserted military service."

"Amnesty says they are being held incommunicado in harsh conditions," PolitInfo.Com said, adding: "The government, in the past, has denied any human rights violations."

See "Eritrea: Fear of torture or ill-treatment/incommunicado detention/detention without charge" for AI's call for urgent action on this issue.

Here is an April 2005 AI report on Eritrea. Also see "Eritrea rejects claims of mass arrests" for Eritrea's denial of the charges against it.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ethiopian 'Torturer', Kelbessa Negewo, Ordered Deported

American citizen Kelbessa Negewo, who served in the government of former Ethiopian President Haile Mengistu Mariam, currently in exile in Zimbabwe, has been ordered deported from the United States. He is appealing the order.

Immigration Judge William A. Cassidy ordered the 54-year-old resident of Atlanta deported because he allegedly committed torture in Ethiopia. Here's more.

Here's is an Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Atlanta) affirmation of a district court verdict against Mr. Negewo. He was successfully sued by Ethiopians he reportedly tortured. The opinion outlines the allegations against him.

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Meles Zenawi Issues Warning To His Opposition

"Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned the country's opposition leaders on Friday [July 29, 2005] against making good their threat to pull out of a panel investigating alleged fraud in the May 15 elections as well as boycotting parliament," according to an Agence France Press article in the Sudan Tribune.

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The Ethiopian Review's Coverage of Defections of Ethiopian Pilots

The Ethiopian Review, based in Annandale Virginia, USA, has very informative articles on eight Ethiopian air force pilots who defected to Belarus but were denied asylum. Two pilots defected to Djibouti but were returned to Ethiopia.

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July 14, 2005

Africa Focus Analyzes 'The Damage We Do'

AfricaFocus Bulletin analyzes "Africa: The Damage We Do." The Bulletin quotes the Royal African Society as saying: "The African Union estimates that the continent loses as much as $148 billion a year to corruption. This money is rarely invested in Africa but finds its way into the international banking system and often into western banks. The proceeds of corrupt practices in Africa ... are often laundered and made respectable by some of the most well known banks in the City of London."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)

Royal African Society On The Damage We Do To Africa

In the lead-up to the 2005 G8 summit, the Royal African Society (RAF) published a Message to world leaders and asked: "What about the damage we do to Africa?" Here is the RAF's answer to the question.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)

Interpol: Small Arms Africa's Most Serious Threat

"The most serious threat in Africa is the proliferation of small arms," Jackie Selebi, President of Interpol, said July 14, 2005 at the opening ceremony of Interpol's 18th Africa Regional Conference in Accra, Ghana.

News24.com of South Africa said, "Experts put the number of small arms and light weapons in circulation worldwide at over 600 million, causing an estimated 80 000 and 100 000 conflict-related deaths in 2003, according to a report released on Monday [July 11, 2005] by the small arms survey.

The United States is the world's largest exporter of small arms, with other G8 members also selling millions of small arms in Africa..

See "Small arms threaten Africa" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2005

BBC Publishes Series On Africa By Africans

Each day this week, the BBC looked at "African problems through African eyes." The series is titled "Africans on Africa," with writers looking at people, debt, governance, colonialism and conflict. The series is worth reading. Former South African mercenary Cobus Claasens' article on the cause of conflict in Africa is especially interesting.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:22 AM | Comments (0)

July 05, 2005

Africa's G8 Message: What Will It Be?

In a July 4, 2005 post at the Guardian Unlimited's News Blog at G8*, headlined "Enriching Africa, Mark Tran noted: "Muammar Gadafy, the Libyan president, was in typically defiant mood when he opened an African Union summit in Sirte on the Libyan coast.

"We are not going to beg at the doorsteps to reduce debt .... We are insulted constantly and we deserve it. We don't need assistance and charity," Mr Gadafy told some 50 African leaders. The eccentric Libyan leader received only tepid applause from the audience for he was hardly on message.

"Unlike Gadafy, other African leaders have welcomed the efforts of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to boost aid and provide debt relief for the continent at this year's G8 summit," Mr. Tran noted.

Question: Is the Libyan leader eccentric because he said, "We are not going to beg at the doorsteps to reduce debt...? Just asking. Also see "Africa prepares G8 message on aid, debt, trade" for speculation on what position African leaders will likely take on aid.

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Central African Republic's Bozize Dislikes AU Rules on Coups

William Maclean of Reuters AlertNet reported June 5, 2005 that Central African Republic President Francois Bozize sees nothing wrong with coming to power in a coup d'etat. According to Reuters he "defended on Tuesday [June 5, 2005] his military takeover, saying it was hard for Africa to lay down strict rules on coups d'etat because each country was different."

Mr. Bozize "was elected president in May 2005, winning a vote to end two years of military rule," according to Reuters, who asked him "if the era of coups d'etat in Africa was indeed over." Mr Bozize replied: "

What should be done? Each country has its problems. It has to solve them its own way. It is difficult to say there is a rigid rule.

The authorities (at that time in 2003) were starting to kill, rape, pillage and burn the institutions of state. They also wanted to loot the central bank.

The regime then in place did not practice good governance. The important thing was that we were able to restore the situation.

Reuters noted that, "Western governments, the United Nations and the AU condemned Bozize's takeover. Nigeria and South Africa also refused to recognize Bozize's legitimacy and he was barred from attending the AU heads of state summits in 2003 and 2004.

According to Reuters, Mr. Bozize "was allowed to attend this year's summit in the Libyan coastal town of Sirte because of his election." See "African leader dislikes rigid rules on coups" for more.

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Gaddafi Urges Fellow Africans to Avoid Past Mistakes

Webster Malido, writing about the African Union (AU) summit in Sirte, Libya, for the Lusaka (Zambia) Post, reported June 5, 2005 that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said, "Africans are today paying the price for having aborted Kwame Nkrumah's ideas."

The late Ghanaian politician and thinker was one of the early proponents of Pan Africanism and a United States of Africa.

Mr. Gaddafi, one of the driving forces behind the AU and the next AU Chairman, told fellow African heads of state and government: "I would like to caution you from falling into the same trap" as the Organization of African Unity, the AU's predecessor. "We must improve our mechanisms and think of those who will be assigned the future assignments. We must avoid repeating the past mistakes."

See "Gaddafi Urges Africans to Avoid Past Mistakes" for more of Mr. Malido's report.

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July 04, 2005

Daily Telegraph Agrees With Gaddafi on Africa: Why?

The Daily Telegraph of London said in its July 5, 2005 issue that,

It is not often that this newspaper finds itself in agreement with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, but he spoke sense at the African Union summit yesterday [July 4, 2005]. Addressing representatives of the 53-nation grouping, Colonel Gaddafi told African leaders to stop "begging" the industrialized world for more aid because ultimately it would create a wider gap between the richer and poorer nations.

I agree. Here's more.

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July 03, 2005

African Journalist Sees A 'New Dawn' In Africa

TV journalist George Alagiah of Britain, who grew up in Ghana, West Africa, during the sixties, noted in a July 3, 2005 article in the Observer of London that,

The Africa from which I have just returned is very different from the one I left seven years ago. As I travelled from Ghana, the first country in Africa to break free of colonialism, to South Africa, the last to achieve freedom, I realized a new wind of change blowing across the continent.

He chronicled his travels in an article headlined "Dreaming of a new dawn."

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Nigeria's Debt Relief

Emma Ujah analyzes Nigeria's debt in an informative article in the July 3, 2005 issue of the Vanguard of Nigeria headlined "Nigeria's Debt Relief: A News Analysis". I think it's worth reading.

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Who Cares About Africa?

"Who cares about Africa?" asked Dan Chapman in a June 30, 2005 Cox News Service report. "Most Americans, it seems, do not." He added:

They're too worried about war in Iraq, illegal Mexican immigration and an ascendant China to fathom the mind-numbing array of social, economic, military, health and political problems bedeviling a continent half a world away. That, at least, is the opinion of Tejan Muata, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Togo who laments that Africa gets short shrift from Americans whose IIQ-- International Intelligence Quotient-- is already sorely tested.

Mr. Chapman quoted Mr. Muata, an Africa expert with the American Friends Service Committee in Atlanta, as saying: "You can't care about something that you don't know about." See "Who cares about Africa?" for more.

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Africans: Who is Bob Geldof

"Few Africans watched the star-studded Live 8 gigs meant to highlight their plight but many said on Sunday [July 3, 2005] any effort to relieve poverty was welcome - even faraway rock concerts performed for rich whites," reports Reuters Correspondent Rebecca Harrison.

Additional reporting for the report I read in Independent Online of South Africa came from George Obulutsa in Nairobi, Kenya and Helen Nyambura in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

See "Majority of Africans don't know who Geldof is" for more.

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Newsweek Sees A Leap Forward In Africa

Newsweek says "Forget Tony Blair and Live 8. The really amazing story is that Africa is starting to recover on its own." See "Africa Leaps Forward" for more.

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The African Blogosphere And Live 8

Financial Times.Com (FT.Com) of London reported July 3, 2005 that, "

Online reaction on African news sites [to Live 8] has been limited in comparison to European sites. However, the African blogosphere post Live8 has been ignited by the debate on efforts to put pressure on G8 world leaders to address aid, development and trade issues.

But "some African bloggers were less than convinced" about the efficacy of Live8, FT.Com said. Reporter Liisa Rohumaa cited what she called scathing commentary by African Bullets & Honey." The blog said, in part, on Julu 1, 2005:

This is simply an exercise in white, Western megalomania. Now that the age of empire has passed for these British Isles, now that the economic consensus will brook no extremes of the right or left variety, now that there are no great foes to contend with, there are only two extreme conditions that remain in a world that has moved to the middle. Western self-aggrandisement and African suffering. To the liberals and assorted put Africa right brigades, they exist at the centre of the moral universe.

The blog said, "Africans shall live or die according to their wishes. Now we are to be saved, but it could be just the opposite as it has been in times past."

See "African blogosphere gives vent on Live 8" for more of FT.Com's report.

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June 21, 2005

Zuma Claims He's The Victim Of A 'Political Conspiracy'

"Axed as South Africa's second-in-command last week, Jacob Zuma was effectively stripped of his remaining hold on power on Monday [June 20, 2005]," according to Independent Online of South Africa reporters Angela Quintal, Jeremy Michaels and Moshoeshoe Monare. "He remains deputy president of the ruling party in name only, pending the outcome of his trial on two counts of corruption," they reported on June 21, 2005.

They also reported that, "In yet another day of high drama, Zuma and his supporters were berated by the African National congress' top leadership for alleging that the former deputy president was the victim of a "political conspiracy". The ANC angrily denounced their "reckless statements," according to Independent Online report. Here's more.

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June 16, 2005

Egypt Frees Some Ikwan

"Egyptian prosecutors have ordered the release of 109 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood who were arrested last month in a crackdown on pro-reform protesters," according toAl-Jazeera.Net.

"The release announced on Wednesday [June 15, 2005, "brings to more than 500 the number of Brotherhood members and supporters freed since last month," the Qatar-based news service said, noting that, "More than 800 Brotherhood loyalists, including leading figures of the banned but tolerated organization, were arrested in the crackdown." Here's more.

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June 13, 2005

Some Observers Say Debt Write-Off Is Not Enough

Ben Perry, writing in the June 13, 2005 edition of the Cape Times of South Africa, noted that "British newspapers and debt experts" have said, to Mr. quote Mr. Perry, "a Group of Eight deal to scrap billions of dollars in debt owed by the poorest countries must be matched by huge increases in aid and an end to European and American agricultural subsidies to eradicate poverty." Here's more.

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June 12, 2005

'Mapping Sub-Sahara Africa's Future'

In the context of the current debate on Africa debt relief, The National Intelligence Council's March 2005 report, Mapping Sub-Sahara Africa's Future, is relevant reading. The situation is rather bleak over the next 15 years, if the report is to be believed. I believe it.

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G-8 Erases One-Sixth Of Africa's $295 Billion Debt

Abraham McLaughlin, staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor, makes an astute observation that puts all the self-congratulatory accolades surrounding the G-8's write-off of $40 billion in debt for 18 nations, 14 of them in Africa, into perspective. He wrote:

For all the impressive figures, though, the deal strikes a middle ground. For some it's too small: At most, it cancels less than one-sixth of Africa's $295 billion debt - and leaves out crucial countries like Nigeria. For others, it's too risky: By erasing bad debts - and allowing struggling nations to apply for new loans - it could spark a new cycle of dependency.

Either way," he observed, "it does provide a respite from poverty's pressures. And it may help countries lift themselves up through better education, stronger agriculture, and expanded trade. "In theory, it primes the pump," he quotes Stephen Hayes of the Corporate Council on Africa in Washington as saying.

"But who pays?" asks Mr. McLaughlin. See "What debt relief means for Africa" for his answer. Also see "G8 Finance Ministers Conclusions on Development, London, 10-11 June 2005."

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Which African Nations Benefit From Debt Agreement?

Reed Kramer explains in an allAfrica.com post from Washington, D.C. that, "the agreement on 100% debt relief for developing countries announced by finance ministers from the eight largest industrial nations on Saturday [July 11, 2005] initially benefits 14 nations in Africa.

Another nine African countries could qualify for full debt cancellation in the next 12 to 18 months, and the ministers pledged "to provide a fair and sustainable solution to Nigeria's debt problems in 2005" through the informal grouping of creditor nations known as the Paris Club," he wrote.

See "G8 Debt Agreement to Benefit 23 African Countries; Separate Deal for Nigeria Muted" for more analysis.

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CFR's Backgrounder On "Africa Debt-Relief Proposals

The Council on Foreign Relations has a backgrounder on "Africa Debt-Relief Proposals. It was prepared by staff writer Lionel Beehner,

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African NGO's Position On Debt Relief

As the Jubilee Debt Campaign notes, "on March 31, 2005, African organizations "under the umbrella of AFRODAD (African Forum and Network on Debt and Development) issued a statement in response to recent propoals for multilateral debt cancellation from the UK and US governments, and outlining their own vision for the continent." The organizations said:

Almost nine years after it was launched in 1996, the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative has failed to provide low income countries a permanent and robust exit from indebtedness. Although the HIPC has delivered more than $48 billion in debt cancellation, no participating country has achieved debt sustainability. Low income countries still owe a total of US $523 million [Editor's note: AFRODAD most likely meant billions] in debt to all creditors. Of this, Africa alone has a debt stock of US$330 billion and still spends US$15 billion every year in debt service to rich countries and the international financial institutions.

Estimates show that at the current rate, most low income countries will fail to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In 10 out of 14 African HIPC countries, debt service payments still take a larger share of the budget than health services while HIPC graduates such as Mozambique, depend for more than 50 percent of their budgets on donors. As the United Kingdom (UK) Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown has said: based on the current rates of progress, the MDGs on child poverty, primary school education and maternal mortality will not be met for 150 years. AFRODAD also said: "We recognize the fact that multilateral debt cancellation is an issue of justice for poor countries. We are also aware that creditor nations and the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) need to acknowledge publicly the roles they played in exacerbating indebtedness in poor countries, especially in Africa. Recently several proposals have been put forward to deal with the multilateral debt of the least developed countries." See "African NGOs on 2005 debt proposals" for an explanation of the various proposals. Also see "What is the HIPC Initiative?" Here's the International Monetary Fund's description of the HIPC Initiative.

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The Limits Of The African Debt Deal

Steve Schifferes, BBC News' "economics reporter at the G8 finance ministers meeting," said "the deal to relieve 100% of poor country debts is historic - but it only sets the scene for a much bigger battle at Gleneagles [in Edinburg, Scotland at the G-8 meeting in July 2005] over trade and aid." See "The limits of the debt deal."

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June 07, 2005

Former African Heads of State Meet in Mali

The Ghanaian Chronicle in Ghana, West Africa, said in a June 7, 2005 editorial, "the meeting of past African Heads of State, currently going on in Bamako, the capital of Mali, is very significant, since past heads of state are an endangered specie to many African countries." The publication also said:

Many of the past heads decided to hang on to power till death separated them from the throne, or decided to hang on till they either had to be chased out, or go down with their countries.

No matter how we regard these leaders, all of them certainly have some positive contributions that they can make to their countries present and future development.
By virtue of the long tenure of these leaders, they certainly had a large section of their people still professing allegiance to them. It is therefore important that they are made to have a sense of belonging to the status quo, so their supporters and sympathizers would also identify with their countries, to foster national cohesion. "However," the Chronicle added, " these past leaders must recognize that whatever conditions they presently find their countries in, they contributed in no small measure to it. They must therefore not strut about as if their reigns represented piety." Here's more.

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ICC's Announcement on Darfur Investigation

Here is the International Criminal Court's statement announcing that ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, "has decided to open an investigation into the situation in Darfur, Sudan."

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Moreno-Ocampo Targets Alleged Darfur War Criminals

The Times of London reported June 7, 2005 that, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, "the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court formally launched an investigation yesterday [June 6, 2005] into alleged war crimes committed in Sudan's Darfur region, the first step towards bringing those responsible for atrocities to justice."

The Times said Mr. Moreno-Ocampo's "investigation is likely to focus on a list of 51 names handed to the ICC in March this year by the United Nations. Although the names were not made public, a Western diplomat said that they included 10 senior members of the Government in Khartoum, 17 military officers, as well as 14 local officials and several tribal chiefs," the paper said. Here's more.

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Bush Pledges $674 Million For Famine Relief In Africa

Beth Gardiner of The Associated Press reported June 7, 2005 that, "a U.S. commitment to providing $674 million for famine relief in Africa may take some of the sting out of President Bush's opposition to a proposal by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to spend even more money." Here's more.

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Should Mr. Bush Do More For Africa?

The Washington Post said in a June 7, 2005 editorial that U.S. President George W. Bush should do more for Africa. The paper said, in part:

The Bush administration already has done a lot for developing countries. Its global AIDS initiative has transformed the money available to fight the pandemic; its new Millennium Challenge Corp. is starting to support poor countries that have good policies. Now pressure is building on the administration to add to that progress: British Prime Minister Tony Blair hosts the Group of Eight summit of industrialized countries next month and wants to announce new help for Africa. A coalition of faith groups and entertainers that includes the rock star Bono is pressing for a U.S. contribution. Mr. Blair will meet President Bush in Washington today, and a new round of debt relief is being cooked up behind the scenes.

"But the administration should go further," the paper added, noting that "the Bush and Blair governments have been discussing debt relief since last year." See "Mr. Bush and Africa" for more.

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June 04, 2005

Will Britain's Debt Plan Give 'Too Little To Too Few'?

Guardian Unlimited reported June 3, 2005 that, "Debt campaigners welcomed" Gordon Brown's June 3, 2005 announcement of a "modern Marshall Plan" for Africa, "but expressed concerns that the initiative was deficient and fraught with problems for poor countries."

"We welcome Brown's debt initiative as a step forward, but it is an inadequate one," the Guardian quoted Martin Powell, "debt campaigns officer at the World Development Movement (WDM)" as saying.
"Brown's initiative is currently for about 23 countries that are eligible for debt relief, but research shows at least 52 poor countries need 100% debt cancellation," he told Guardian Unlimited," the publication said. Here's more.

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May 30, 2005

100 Delegates Expected for Africa Project Exchange Workshop

"About 100 delegates from various African countries and overseas are expected to gather in Cape Town to hold a three-day workshop termed Africa Project Exchange Workshop from tomorrow,[May 31, 2005]," according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation. "The workshop spearheaded by Umgeni Water from KwaZulu-Natal comes ahead of the three-day World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre." Here's more.

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African Business Leaders to Back Britain's Debt-Relief Plan

James Macharia, writing in the May 30, 2005 edition of Independent On Line, said, "Africa's business leaders plan to back Britain's mission to give more aid and boost trade in the world's poorest continent at a summit this week, but will also demand better governance from their political counterparts. African leaders and business executives meet from June 1-3 in Cape Town at the WEF Africa summit to support the British plan which challenges the rich world to stop protectionism and give Africa an extra $25-billion a year in aid until 2010," he wrote.

It's ironic that in 2005 Africa is still begging the west for aid although it's one of the richest continents. Thanks to neo-colonialist policies imposed by former colonial powers after African independence, which resulted in some African leaders borrowing billions of dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF] and the World Bank. The so-called development loans, billions of which often ended up some African leaders' foreign bank accounts instead of aiding their constituents, effectively bound Africa to the West. It is a strategy that has much of Afrcia's money flowing to the West long after the first African nation, Ghana, gained political independence in 1957.

According to a study issued in September 2004 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD),

Between 1970 and 2002, Africa received some $540 billion in loans; but despite paying back close to $550 billion in principal and interest, it still had a debt stock of $295 billion as at the end of 2002. And the figures are even more disconcerting for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which received $294 billion in disbursements, paid out $268 billion in debt service and yet remained straddled with a debt stock of some $210 billion

UNCTAD's report concludes that "this amounts to a reverse transfer of resources from the world´s poorest continent."

UNCTAD's "report also contests the popular impression that Africa´s debt overhang is simply the legacy of irresponsible and corrupt African governments. While certainly part of the story, particularly under the cloak of cold war politics, exogenous shocks, commodity dependence, poorly designed reform programmes and the actions of creditors have all played a decisive part in the debt crisis.
And a more nuanced picture shows that the debt profile moved from "sustainability" in the 1970s to "crisis" in the first half of the 1980s, with much of the debt being contracted between 1985 and 1995 under the guidance of structural adjustment programmes and close scrutiny by the Bretton Woods institutions (BWIs).Here's more of the Independent On Line report.

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May 27, 2005

Egypt's Referendum on Amending Its Constitution

"Almost 83 percent of voters approved a key amendment to the constitution that will allow Egypt's first contested presidential elections, Interior Minister Habib Al-Adli" said May 26, 2005, announcing the result of a referendum held May 25, 2005, according to Summer Said of Arab News. See "83% Vote Yes in Egyptian Referendum" for more. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt called the referendum a sham and notes that some of its members were arrested even before the vote took place. See Amira Howeidy's "Reading the Signs."

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May 25, 2005

Egyptians to Vote May 25 on Election Law Changes

Doha Al Zohairy reports on Egypt's vote on "a referendum for a constitutional amendment." According to the writer, the referendum "asks voters to decide whether a government proposal to allow multi-party presidential elections should be incorporated into the constitution. Official results are expected on Thursday [May 26, 2005] afternoon ." .

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May 18, 2005

Straw Asks U.S. to Commit More Aid for Africa

On May 18, 2005 British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw "embraced President George W. Bush's vision of spreading freedom around the globe but urged America to extend the mission to Africa, a continent lower on Washington's list of priorities than on Whitehall's," reports news.telegraph of London.

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Exercise Flintlock 2005 Gets Underway in Africa in June

American Forces Press Service (AFPS) reports that, "The Trans Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative will officially kick off in June with Exercise Flintlock 2005, according to Theresa Whelan, deputy assistant secretary of defense for African affairs." AFPS said, "U.S. special operations forces will train their counterparts in seven Saharan countries, teaching military tactics critical in enhancing regional security and stability. At the same time, they will encourage the participating nations to work collaboratively toward confronting regional issues, Whelan said during an interview today [May 16] with the American Forces Press Service." Here's more.

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May 17, 2005

Africa is Also a land of Stock Markets, High Rises, Internet Cafes, etc

The Monitor of Kampala, Uganda, opined on Many 17, 2005 that, "Yes, Africa is a land of wars, poverty and corruption. The situation in places like Darfur, Sudan, desperately cries out for more media attention and international action. But Africa is also a land of stock markets, high rises, Internet cafes and a growing middle class. This is the part of Africa that functions. And this Africa also needs media attention, if it is to have any chance of fully joining the global economy." Read more of "How the Media Distorts Africa."

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Mubarak: Foreign Intervention in Darfur Crisis Not Wanted

Egypt Election Daily News reports that "President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt said any foreign interference or attempts to internationalize Darfur crisis will further complicate the situation." He reportedly made the statement during "the inaugural session of the six-way summit which opened in Tripoli last night," according to the publication. It said, " President Mubarak said successive development in Darfur makes it incumbent on the international community to provide more support for the African Union so that it may play its leading role in settling the crisis." Click here for more.

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African Leaders' Fourth Round of Talks on Darfur Set For June 1, 2005

African leaders who wrapped up a seven-way mini-African summit on Darfur in Tripoli, Libya, on May 17, 2005 "have agreed to resume a fourth round of talks on the same issue" on June 1, 2005, Suleiman Awad, the Egyptian presidential spokesman, said on May 17, according to the Sudan Tribune. Read more here.

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May 09, 2005

China Daily: 'Japan Should Reflect on its Foreign Policies'

China Daily's Wang Yusheng asserts in a May 10, 2005 article that, "There has emerged talk about Japan taking on the role as the "Britain of the Far East," copying the special relationship the United States has with the European country."

"Japan began to play the role of Washington's new partner in East Asia when the country signed with the United States the new guideline for US-Japan defence co-operation during the then US President Bill Clinton's Japan tour in 1996," Wang Yusheng writes. "Both sides stressed, in the new guideline, that the range of their defence co-operation should be extended to the "surrounding area," which included not only Japan's surrounding waters, but also the "events" aroused by possible civil wars or coup d'etat in other countries." See "Japan should reflect on its foreign policies" for more of Wang Yusheng's article, which reflects China's official policy.

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May 08, 2005

Who's Telling the Truth: The U.S. or Somaliland?

"The Government of Somaliland in north-eastern Somalia has accused the United States of violating its air space," according to The ABCNewsOnline of Australia and various publications.

"But, according to the Voice of America, "Major General Samuel Helland Friday [May 6, 2005] called the reports a fabrication, and said Somali officials were probably confused by a military training mission that took place off the coast of neighboring Djibouti late last week "The accusation follows another that U.S. Marines landed in the area looking for terrorists last week."

The U.S. so-called "Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa" is located in Djibouti.

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Somali Goverment Relocation Delayed

Xinhuanet, the official Chinese news agency, reported May 8, 2005, that, "The delay in deploying peacekeepers in Somalia by the seven-nation regional body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), is hampering the fledgling Somali government's relocation process," senior officials admitted. Uganda was supposed to deploy about 800 peacekeepers but has delayed them for a second time in less than a month.

"Divisions among Somalia's political leaders and warlords over where the Horn of Africa nation's administration should be based has complicated the matter further," Xinhua said, noting that, "While the interim constitution names Mogadishu as the capital, the city is considered the most dangerous place in Somalia."

Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Geddi was in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, on May 3, 2005 when "at least 14 people" died "following an explosion that rocked a soccer stadium" where he was addressing his supporters, according to the Voice of America. He went back to Nairobi on May 7, 2005. He recently announced that he would move his government to Somalia from Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2005. Here's more.

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Links to News About Somalia

Here is a link to what the United Nation's Integrated Regional Information Network calls "Some key actors in the transitional process" in Somalia, a barely functional country in the Horn of Africa. Also see Somali.Net for news about Somalia. Awdal News Network is also a good source.

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Somalia's Prime Minister, Ali Geddi, Goes Back to Kenya: Why?

Somali.Net says reports out of Mogadishu, Somalia suggest that Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Geddi "left the country for Nairobi Kenya [on May 7, 2005]where his administration is temporarily located. What prompted Mr. Geddi's sudden departure is not known," the report said, adding:"His last known plans included visiting Kismayo, Somalia's third largest city before going back to Kenya."

According to the Voice of America, "at least 14 people" died "following an explosion that rocked a soccer stadium" May 3, 2005, in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as the prime minister addressed his supporters. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that on May 6, as noted in a Somali.Net report,

Armed men stormed the residence of Mr. Barre Adan Shire Hirale who controls most southern part of the country including Somalias third largest city, Kismayo.

According to the report, " Mr. Shire, a former army colonel was in the house when attacked. One bodyguard and one of the assailants were wounded in the shootout. Here's more.on Mr. Geddi's decision to return to Nairobi.

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May 04, 2005

Somali Leader Calls it an Accident, Others Say Assassination Attempt

Mohamed Ali Bile reported in the May 4, 2005 edition of Independent Online (IOL) of Africa that, Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi of Somalia, who escaped what he calls and accident on May 3, 2005 in Mogadishu and others call an assassination attempt, is trying to "end a rift in his government over the location of a future capital and the role of United Nations peacekeepers in the Horn of Africa country of about 10 million people" before he can effectively govern.

IOL said, "an explosion killed at least seven people at a soccer stadium on Tuesday [May 3, 2005], moments after the Somali prime minister had addressed hundreds of supporters, government officials and witnesses said."

Mr. Gedi was quoted as saying:"I am very sorry for what happened at the stadium. It is an unexpected accident and I send condolences to the relatives." Here's more.

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May 01, 2005

African Press Express Concern Over Togo Unrest

The BBC reported May 1, 2005 that, "The ongoing political crisis in Togo following last week's disputed presidential election is a cause for great concern in the African press." Here's more on the subject.

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April 27, 2005

Writer Sees a Failed State and Regression in Liberia

Charles Kwalonue Sunwabe, Jr., writing in the Liberia Observer:

It is tragic, sad and disappointing to see Liberia, descend so quickly into a state of "perpetual regression" barely a year after its villainous former President, Charles McArthur Taylor, departed in disgrace. Back in August of 2003, Liberians overwhelmingly greeted the departure of disgraced former President Charles McArthur Taylor with jubilation - some even naively began to say that his forced departure from the country that he had wrecked indeed signaled a new beginning.

"But," the writer added, "as the situation in post-Taylor's Liberia indicates, little has changed as it is "business as usual" with endemic corruption, rancor, governmental and bureaucratic inefficiencies, deceit, lies and despicable irresponsibility prevalent everywhere." Read more of "The State Has Fallen - Regression in Liberia."

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Why is African Leader Hiding in Croatia?

The Daily Telegraph of London reported April 28, 2005 that, "Equatorial Guinea's exiled opposition leader Severo Moto is alive and living secretly in Croatia, a magazine reported yesterday [April 27, 2005], a week after his disappearance was reported. Mr Moto, who has lived in Madrid since the mid-1980s, fled the Spanish capital without telling his wife or political associates over a month ago. Spanish newspapers said it was believed he was dead." The Telegraph added:

The weekly Globus magazine, however, printed an interview with him yesterday, quoting him as saying he feared Spanish attempts to kill him. It published photographs of Mr Moto in Zagreb and said he was staying at a Croatian friend's business in the suburbs of the city where he was interviewed on April 24.

"Mr Moto is said to have received death threats from president Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who accused him of supporting a failed coup last year," The Telegraph reported. Here's more of African Leader Hiding in Croatia.

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Can Togo Avoid Civil War Over Outcome of Presidential Election?

Inter Press Service Correspondent Noel Kokou Tadegnon, writing from Lome, the capital of the West African nation of Togo, said, "Emmanuel Akitani-Bob, an opposition candidate in the presidential election held Sunday [April 24, 2005] in Togo, declared himself winner of the poll Wednesday [April 27, 2005]. This came a day after the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that Faure Gnassingbe, son of deceased head of state Gnassingbe Eyadema, was the provisional winner," Mr. Tadegnon wrote, He noted that the April 26, 2005 announcement "was greeted with outrage by opposition supporters, who erected barricades and burned tires in the Togolese capital, Lome, to protest the outcome of the poll." The question is: Can Togo avoid civil war by forming a government of national unity?Read more here.

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Peace Talks Between Sudan, Darfur Rebels Set to Resume in May 2005

On April 27, 2005, African Union spokesman Nourreddine Mezni told the Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), a "UN humanitarian news and information service," that "the peace talks [between the Sudanese government and rebels in the western region of Darfur] are expected to resume in May [2005], although specific dates will only be finalized at the end of the current consultation." Here's more of IRIN's report.

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African Union Reportedly Asks NATO for Help in Darfur

African leaders often seem incapable of solving Africa's problems without help from Europeans and Americans. In what appears to be the latest sign of that, "The African Union has asked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "for talks on how the western military alliance could provide logistical support for its monitoring mission in the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur, a NATO spokesman said on Wednesday [April 27, 2005], according to a report in The Daily Star of Lebanon. The paper, citing reports from news agencies, said "the African Union president had written to NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer suggesting "the AU secretariat and NATO secretariat begin discussions on NATO providing logistical support to the AU in Darfur". Here's The Daily Star report.

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Are African Leaders Serious About NEPAD?

Gamal Nkrumah, writing in the April 21-27, 2005 Al Ahram Weekly Online, report that African heads of state and government who travelled to the Red Sea resort of Sharm El- Sheikh on Tuesday demonstrated that there was no shortage of goodwill to resolve the many challenges facing Africa. Those who failed to show up were a reminder that an agenda that unifies Africa is sorely needed. He added:

The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), widely acclaimed as a blueprint for continental economic survival, is based on the premise that African countries are committed to undertake policy and institutional reforms. In return, the wealthy countries of the North have pledged to create an enabling international economic environment that would permit African countries to develop and prosper.

Mr. Nkrumah said "Twenty-nine countries and 10 heads of state and government took part in NEPAD's 13th Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) and the third Peer Review Mechanism. "Africa's economic development is in our hands," Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo boasted at the close of the Sharm El-Sheikh summit." Here's more of "Knee pads and floats."

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February 27, 2005

U.S. 'Strengthen' Diplomatic Mission in Sudan

Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State in charge of the Bureau of Public Affairs and State Department spokesman, said the U.S. "strengthened" its diplomatic presence in Sudan "by appointing Ambassador David Kaeuper as the chargé d'affaires of the American Embassy in Khartoum. Ambassador Kaeuper has arrived in the Sudanese capital," he told State Department correspondents February 25, 2005, adding:

He will engage the Sudanese Government on critical issues, including the crisis in Darfur, implementing the comprehensive peace agreement, delivering lifesaving humanitarian aid to millions of Sudanese threatened by displacement and food shortages.

He said "the Embassy has also sent an official to southern Sudan with a view to establishing a U.S. diplomatic presence there." Mr. Kaeuper has considerable experience in Africa.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 26, 2005

Sanction on Togo Lifted Following Gnassingbe's Resignation

Cameron Duodu, in a February 27, 2005 article in The Observer of London, noted that "for the first time a show of unity by African nations has succeeded in reversing a coup - forcing the resignation of Faure Gnassingbe, the son of the late dictator of Togo, who had installed himself as President in succession to his father." Mr. Duodu observed that Mr. Gnassingbe's resignation "came after the African Union had joined the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to impose sanctions on his regime. Under the sanctions diplomatic relations with Togo were to be cut." The sanctions were lifted February 26, 2005, after Mr. Gnassinbe's resignation was confirmed.

Hopefully, the Togolese affair will convince any potential African coup leader that he will be isolated diplomatically and sanctions imposed on his nation, if he succeeds in overthrowing a government or seize power upon the death of a leader.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 18, 2005

Stopping The Chaos In Togo Without an Invasion

Elias Rick Ngwayah at The New Outpost has a warning to those calling on Ghana and Nigeria to invade Togo to "restore democracry" in that West African nation. He wrote:

Looking at recent events in West Africa, I think it would be a mistake for any one country or two countries to invade another country without the approval or mandate of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union, and the United Nations. Despite our desire to see the constitution restored, it is crucially important that this be thought through thoroughly before any action is taken.

I totally agree with Mr. Ricks, a Liberian-American who lived through the first Liberian civil war and spent time in a U.N. refugee camp in Ghana. Here is more of "Stopping The Chaos In Togo."

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Diplomatic Pressure Forces Mr. Gnassingbe to Hold Elections

Faure Gnassingbe, the president of Togo, was installed in power by Togo's military following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, on February 5, 2005. The act immediately drew international condemnation and some African leaders labeled it a coup. They demanded that Mr.Gnassingbe abide by the constitution, which was changed so he could become president. Now, after considerable diplomatic pressure and the threat of sanctions, he has relented and agreed to hold national elections within 60 days. On February 18, 2005, he said:

I have decided in the higher interests of the nation to continue the process of transition in line with the constitution of 1992 amended in December 2002 and organise the presidential election within the stipulated time of 60 days. The government will make the necessary arrangements to this effect. We heartily desire ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa) to accompany us in this electoral process."

Before Mr. Gnassingbe's decision, some opinion makers in Africa were calling on Ghana and Nigeria to invade Togo to "restore democracy." Hopefully, Mr. Gnassingbe's announcement will put this foolish notion to rest.

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February 14, 2005

Should Ghana and Nigeria Invade Togo to Restore Democracy?

Ghana Home Page published an article on February 14, 2005 "in response to calls for Ghana to invade Togo to restore democracy. Better still," the paper said, "why can't Ghana and Nigeria agree to invade Togo and overthrow the recently installed Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema regime?" Read the publication's argument.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 09, 2005

Opinion: 'That's our West Africa'

Kofi Akosah-Sarpong of The Reporter, a West African publication, said in an article posted to the web February 9, 2005, that "The Togolese military's fast installation of President Gnassingbe Eyadema's son, Faure Gnassingbe, just a few hours after his father's death, once again, confirms the West African character - complex and turbulent, weak rule of law, weak civic virtues, fragile democracies, undercurrent of anarchic forces, flashes of dark spiritual practices, and prone to disorder." His opinion is worth reading.

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February 06, 2005

NDC of Ghana Says Togo's Military Should Follow Constitution

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Ghana, after expressing condolences to the family of Former Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who died on February 5, 2005, said the Togolese military's quick installation of Mr. Eyadema's son in power despite rules of succession could lead to deeper divisions in the country.

"It is a move that may well set their country on the path of deeper divisions in their body politic, confusion and ultimate chaos, with dire geo-political consequences for the West African Sub-region," the NDC said. According to the Ghana Home Page, the NDC "called on the New Patriotic Party government to use its influence and leadership in ECOWAS to help the Togolese authorities to install constitutional and democratic governance in Togo." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack