Insecurity in Congo copper province a “serious concern”: U.N

Posted on June 18, 2013 by

Security in Congo’s copper-mining heartland of Katanga is a “very serious concern” that must be tackled politically and militarily, the outgoing head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission said on Monday. The province, which sits on some of the world’s largest copper reserves, last year exported 600,000 tonnes. Miners including Freeport McMoRan and Glencore already operate there. In March, hundreds of rebel fighters attacked the Katangan capital of Lubumbashi and then surrendered following bloody clashes with security forces. On Sunday, a soldier was killed during fighting between the army and insurgents 20 km (12 miles) from the city. “It’s a quite significant problem, and I think it has all the prospects … Continue reading →

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Lockerbie compensation: Libyan officials acquitted

Posted on June 18, 2013 by

Two senior Libyan officials have been acquitted of “squandering public funds” by agreeing to pay $2.7bn (£1.7bn) in compensation to victims of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Former Foreign Minister Abdul Ati al-Obeidi and former General people’s Congress head Mohamed al-Zway have been on trial since September 2012. Col Muammar Gaddafi agreed to pay the compensation in 2003. These are the first verdicts against his officials since he was ousted. The judge did not explain the reasons for the acquittal, says the BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli. One of Mr al-Zway’s relatives told the BBC the verdict showed that Libya had a fair judiciary. “I’m happier with the judiciary than I … Continue reading →

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Opposition delaying Zimbabwe elections for “fear of defeat”

Posted on June 17, 2013 by

President Robert Mugabe accused political rivals of seeking to delay elections in Zimbabwe because they fear defeat, after regional leaders urged his ruling coalition to ask the courts to extend a July 31 deadline for holding the vote. His rivals said reforms to restrictive media and security laws were essential for any fair election to be held and that it was Mugabe’s party that was not ready to go the polls. Mugabe, Africa’s oldest leader at 89, last week used a presidential decree to bypass parliament and fast-track changes to election laws and declare the voting date, drawing a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. In a clear sign … Continue reading →

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Increased AMISOM operates net several Al-Shabaan militants

Posted on June 14, 2013 by

By Steven Ariong In a bid to consolidate the peace in the areas under the Federal Government of Somalia and specifically in Mogadishu city, the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) forces supporting Somali security forces in Sector One have over the past three weeks intensified their operations which has resulted into the arrest of several terrorists, the capture of numerous weapons and improved security situation especially in Mogadishu. In a message to The London Evening Post, Major Henry Obbo, the communication officer for the Uganda contingent in AMISOM, said the special operations come at a time when Al Shabaab was carrying out several fatal attacks on the civilians in … Continue reading →

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Egypt’s opposition rejects unity talks with President Morsi

Posted on June 12, 2013 by

Egypt’s largest opposition grouping said Tuesday that calls by the president for national reconciliation talks come “too late,” as activists geared up for a street protest campaign at the end of the month to demand his ouster. President Mohammed Morsi made the call during a fiery speech Monday over Ethiopia’s plans to build a dam on the Blue Nile, a project Cairo claims would jeopardize the flow of the Nile River through Egypt and cause a critical water shortage. In the speech, Morsi urged Egyptians to unite in a common stand, saying he was “ready to meet anyone to serve the nation’s interest” to consolidate the country’s internal front in … Continue reading →

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Kenyan protesters spill cow blood as ‘MPigs’ push for more pay

Posted on June 12, 2013 by

Kenyan activists on Tuesday spilled cow blood outside parliament to protest political leaders’ attempts to raise their salaries in a country where most earn only $1,800 a year. Civil society activist John Abuka said the spilled blood symbolizes Kenyans’ suffering at the cost of maintaining their leaders’ salary. About 200 activists marched to parliament while castigating the members, locally known as MPs, for their “greed.” Some protesters now call their political leaders MPigs and on Tuesday branded parliament “a piggy bank.” “We don’t know what work they do to demand such high salaries from poor Kenyans’ taxes,” said Fredrick Odhiambo who attended the protest.MPs last month voted to overturn a … Continue reading →

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Hundreds flee Kismayo as fighting between rival groups flares

Posted on June 10, 2013 by

Hundreds of people are fleeing the southern Somali port city of Kismayo after fighting broke out between two self-declared leaders of the region. At least 10 people were killed on Saturday as clashes between the rival militias flared for a second day. Seven were killed on Friday, residents said. Fighting began when one of the leaders tried to meet the defence minister, who is seeking to resolve the situation.  African Union (AU) troops, the majority of whom come from Uganda, are in charge of security in Kismayo. The city was captured from Islamist militants last October. A new UN-backed government in Mogadishu is trying to regain control of the country … Continue reading →

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Islamist rebels taking advantage of French troops departure

Posted on June 5, 2013 by

Mali’s Foreign Minister said Tuesday that nations in the Sahara were not doing enough to stop an Islamist threat spreading across the region and urged more intelligence-sharing and joint military operations. In an interview with Reuters, Tieman Coulibaly accused Mali’s Tuareg separatist rebels of “Ku Klux Klan” abuses by persecuting non-Tuaregs in Kidal and said this did not bode well for talks aimed at including the north-eastern town in next month’s election of a new president to complete a post-coup transition to democracy. A string of attacks in Niger including on a French-run uranium mine have shown how Islamist rebels have taken advantage of a security vacuum since French-led forces … Continue reading →

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Pistorius lawyer demands answers over bloody leaked pictures

Posted on June 2, 2013 by

Lawyers for “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius demanded answers from South African police and prosecutors on Friday after pictures of the bathroom and toilet where he shot dead his girlfriend were leaked to a British television station. Sky News obtained a series of images of the crime scene in Pistorius’ luxury Pretoria home where the double amputee track star shot his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day on February 14. Pistorius was one of the stars of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London and the case shocked millions across the world as he was seen as a symbol of triumph over adversity. In South Africa, he was a hero … Continue reading →

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Malawi protests over Tanzanian plans for Lake Malawi

Posted on June 2, 2013 by

Malawi has protested against plans by its neighbour Tanzania to deploy two ships on Lake Malawi, which it says threaten mediation efforts to resolve a long-standing border dispute. Malawi’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ephraim Chiume said on Saturday that Tanzanian government officials had stated publicly that the East African nation was buying six new passenger ships, two of which were destined for Lake Malawi.  ”The Malawi government found these developments unfortunate, especially coming at a time when the mediation process over the boundary dispute is going smoothly,” Chiume said. Tanzanian officials were not immediately available to comment. Malawi, which sits to the west of Africa’s third-largest lake, claims the entire northern … Continue reading →

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