The AfricaNews articles of Dolphyne
11,000 Liberian refugees in Ghana to lose status
Liberian refugees living in the Bububuram refugee camp in the Central region of Ghana will lose their status as refugees by June 2012. The decision which is being implemented by the international community will cut aid supplies to the refugees. According to a Programs Coordinator for the Ghana Refugee Board, Tetteh Padi, the refugees will be forced to integrate if the deadline elapses. - “The international community has come together, and this includes the Liberian government, and they have agreed that the conditions back in Liberia are good enough, safe enough for those who fled the war,” Tetteh Padi told Joy News.
He said the refugees have the option to regularize their stay…Is the International Criminal Court targeting Africa?
A legal officer with the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fadi El Abdallah has denied that the world court has concentrated the bulk of its investigations and operations on the African continent. Recent critiques from a variety of sources, including the African Union, have charged the ICC with jeopardising peace, prolonging ethnic conflict and threatening the national sovereignty of African states. - This so called bias on the part of the ICC has left the world court battling to gain credibility but Fadi El Abdallah, says “the situations of four continents are under analysis by the Office of the Prosecutor: Afghanistan, Colombia, the Republic of Korea, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Nig…Torrential rains disrupt activities in Accra, 5 dead
Five people are reported dead in Ghana's capital, Accra, as torrential rains hit that part of the country. The heavy rains which started around 11:00pm Tuesday has brought activities in Accra to a standstill. Almost all activities have been disrupted and properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis have also been destroyed due to severe flooding. - Vehicular movements in the capital have also been brought a devastating effect on residents. Many gutters and rivers overflowed its banks bringing fear to motorists and commuters who attempt to cross the river .
The Ghana National Disaster Management Organization (Nadmo) have advised to stay clear from river channels and valleys particularly …Human rights, democracy visit Swaziland
Viewed as one of the most powerful monarchies in the world, Swaziland has little or no room for democracy. Absolute power rest on King Mswati III, who, not only chooses his prime minister and government but also has the pick of the nation when it comes to finding a bride. - Swaziland, located in south-eastern Africa was built on tradition and culture, and currently there is no place for democracy. However groups fighting for freedom is gaining momentum, but their work is slow and dangerous.
But the country’s minister of justice and constitution affairs, Mgwagwa Gameze, said that is certainly not the reality in that country. He told the United Nations Human Right Council during the…Ghana: Health sector in distress as doctors strike
The Ghanaian health sector is seen to be in distress as the country's doctors go on strike over pay. The strike that began over a week ago has seen sick people being left to their fate and some reportedly dying as the doctors continue strike over a salaries dispute, a move backed by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). - The actual dispute is with the government’s Fair Wages Commission (FWC) which the GMA is accusing of putting professionals with similar skills and job descriptions in different salary scales.
Earlier on in a statement, the GMA “instructed all doctors to stop work and hold themselves in readiness for further instructions.” The statement cited “…Ghana regroups ECOWAS, poised for action
In recent weeks, Ghana's president has hosted two presidents from the ECOWAS grouping in a move seen as a positive step towards the growth of the West African sub region. President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan have all visited Accra this month to have talks with Ghana's president John Evans Atta Mills. - Ghana is going into elections next year and with Nigeria and Ivory Coast coming out of elections many believe it is just the right moment for these leaders to meet and share ideas on how to keep the region from electoral related violence, deepen democracy and also strengthen trade as well.
Ouattara’s visit
During his visit to Gh…Libyan rebels detain 70 Ghanaians
Libya's National Transitional Council detained about 70 Ghanaians among a group of West and North Africans on suspicion that they are mercenaries backing the pro-Gaddafi forces. The suspects are currently being held in detention in the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The NTC have taken charge of a significant part of the country following the disappearance of former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. - The rebels have been rounding up persons it accuses of being mercenaries, working for the fugitive leader.
One of the detained Ghanaians, Hassan Abdallah who spoke to Joy FM - a local radio station in Ghana’s capital, Accra, through a smuggled mobile phone, said that presently no charges h…Rifts as Ghana’s ruling party goes to congress
There are seemingly rifts in Ghana's ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) as the party goes to congress this weekend to vote for its presidential candidate for the December 2012 general elections. President John Mills is being challenged by former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of former president Jerry Rawlings for the party's leadership. - With about one and half years to go before the next election, it is not clear what president Mills’ position will be should he lose at the primaries and such a loss is likely to undermine the remainder of his tenure.
In the event of a loss, president Mills would be making history by becoming the only one-term presid…One in three persons in Accra hypertensive
One in three persons in Accra, Ghana, above the age of 40 is hypertensive, a report has revealed. At age 65 and above, one in two adults are also said to be hypertensive. The report, put together by the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi revealed a startling increase in the chronic conditions of hypertension and diabetes, especially in the urban areas in the country. - A physician specialist at the hospital Dr. Plunge Rhule attributed the increase to poor lifestyle in the urban areas and has called for urgent action by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
“Hypertension and diabetes are both chronic conditions that are on the increase in Ghana. Currently if you take ten people who …Meet Tosin Pedro: Africa’s female photographer
In the world of male dominated fields like that of photography, it is refreshing to note that a woman is gradually creating a niche for herself against all odds. Tosin Pedro, a Nigerian born female photographer is braving against the odds to establish herself as one of the world's best in far away in the United Kingdom. - Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Tosin studied Bsc in Computing and Multimedia at the London Metropolitan University and then went on to study Msc in Information Technology with Security at the University of Greenwich. Her skills in photography, post production and retouching are unmatched.
AfricaNews had a brief but exclusive interview with Tosin Pedro who says “photo…AU lagging in defense of press freedom - CPJ
Global and regional institutions with a responsibility to guard press freedom are largely failing to fulfill their mandate as journalists worldwide continue to face threats, imprisonment, intimidation, and killings, according to Attacks on the Press, a yearly survey released Tuesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists. - “While international law guarantees the right to free expression, journalists cannot count on a robust defense of those rights,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “The recent unprecedented repression and persecution of journalists in Egypt, for example, provides an important opportunity for global and regional institutions to speak and act forcefu…ECOWAS ‘recognizes’ Gbagbo as president
Despite all the hullabaloo being made around for Ivory Coast's leader Laurent Gbagbo to cede power for Alassane Ouattara - who has been widely recognized by all major international players to have won the last elections, ECOWAS still 'recognizes' Gbagbo as president of the world's number one cocoa producing country. - In a bizarre manner, the regional bloc still describes Laurent Gbagbo as the president of Ivory Coast on its official website. The website also indicates Guillaume Kigbafori SORO and Hon. Mamadou KOULIBALY as that country’s Prime Minister and President of the Ivorian Assembly respectfully.
The official website of ECOWAS is undoubtedly the first poin…Ex militants strike in Ghana’s oil city
Twenty-seven former militants from the Niger Delta State of Nigeria have been arrested by the police in Ghana's oil city, Takoradi, for allegedly heckling a hotel attendant and holding their co-ordinator hostage. The suspects and 183 others arrived in the country to train at the various national vocational training institutes (NVTI) as welders and oil rig workers. - They were said to have locked up their leader for more than two hours in a toilet at a hotel in Takoradi where they were lodging.
The police said at the time of the arrest, the suspects were in a meeting planning to rally support across their bases in the country to attack their officers in Accra.
According to the hote…African leaders’ scorecard
Some weeks ago, 'The East African' magazine rated the performance of Africa's leaders and provided a score for each of them. "The African Presidents' index" ranked all African Heads-of-State and gave a mark where the best President/Head of Government scored an A+ and the worst scored an F-. - The magazine had developed its own index but also relied on other indexes like the Mo Ibrahim index on African Governance, the democracy index, Transparency International Corruption Index, the Freedom House's Press Freedom index and the UN Human Development index to come up with a final ranking.
It basically came up with a final score on which the political leaders …Water: Survival of the fittest in Ghana
Ghana has recently reached middle-income status but still struggles with a water deficit and widespread lack of sanitation. Despite challenges, Ghana is one of only four countries in sub-Saharan Africa on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal for water by 2015. Government estimates it will need to invest about $1.6 billion a year over 10 years for adequate infrastructure. - In Accra, Ghana’s bustling capital city of close to two million people, urban growing pains are evident: traffic-clogged roads, sprawling neighbourhoods, and water taps that sometimes run dry.
While 90% of the capital city’s residents have access to safe water, only about one-third have drinking wa…Ghana: 600 to be forced out of mental home
Six hundred inmates of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital who have been cured of their mental illnesses are to face forced ejection from the hospital. The Chief Psychiatrist, Dr Akwasi Osei, said the 600 inmates had all been declared fully recovered and discharged from the hospital but they had refused to leave and make way for other patients. - Consequently, the hospital has declared a special exercise, dubbed 'Operation 600 Patients Home', under which patients who have long recovered but refused to go home will be forcibly sent to their families.
The Accra Psychiatric Hospital was built in 1906. It has capacity for 800 patients but currently houses 1,200 inmates, including the 600…Ghana kicks against military force in I Coast
Ghana's president John Mills has kicked against any military intervention in Ivory Coast to force incumbent Laurent Gbagbo out of office. "It is not for Ghana to choose a leader for Cote D'ivoire. I have spoken to both Ouatarra and Gbagbo and I cannot make it public. I do not think the military operation will bring peace to the nation." - President Mills said Ghana has as many as 500 troops in Ivory Coast and that his officers in the country said they could not contribute troops to the Military force.
“Ghana is monitoring it very closely and will ensure that peace prevails,” he added.
He however dispel rumours that Ghana is sending arms and mercenaries …Ghana starts commercial oil productions today
Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills officially pressed the knob for the first commercial oil production to commence in the West African country, Ghana. The country thus joins the ranks of African oil exporters and is expected to produce $1 billion of annual crude revenues from an offshore field hoped to bolster its expanding economy. - The president arrived aboard a golden chopper at about 10:15 GMT wearing safety gear and blue overalls to open the valves in a televised ceremony at the 330-metre-long floating platform some 40 miles (60 km) off the country's Atlantic coast.
Also present at the occasion is the two former presents of Ghana, presidents Jerry John Rawlings and Jo…Google Trader launch stuns Accra
Google literally brought Accra - the capital of Ghana in West Africa - to a standstill with the public launch of its new product Google Trader. It is a free online classifieds service that allows Ghanaians to buy and sell products and services, as well as search for jobs or just about anything else. - The service seems to be catching on fast with traders in the capital in particular as some have already listed items from livestock to stationery. “I’m actually surprised this is for free and I can just do it with a touch of the button on my cell phone,” Kofi Baah, a secondhand clothing seller at the Makola Market – the largest shopping centre in Ghana - told AfricaNews.…Ghana recalls ambassador to Brazil
Ghana's President John Evans Atta Mills has recalled with immediate effect, Ghana's ambassador to Brazil, Samuel Kofi Dadey. That country's government sources say the President has retired him with immediate effect. This follows allegations of sexual harassment made against him by an employee of the embassy. - The victim of the alleged sexual harassment, 40-year-old Helen Adewonuola was the private secretary of ambassador Dadey. She told Adakabre Frempong-Manso, host of Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme that the Ambassador forced her to have sex four times with him to protect her job.
Mr. Dadey denied the woman’s claims, saying he “never had sex with the form…Nigeria marks 50yrs of independence
The people of Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, began celebrations to mark 50 years since independence from the United Kingdom. There have been firework displays in the capital, Abuja, while parades will be held later in major cities. - Nigeria is a major oil producer yet most people live in poverty.
More than 200 different ethnic groups co-exist in an uneasy coalition and the scars of numerous coups and a civil war are still visible.
Beyond these celebrations AfricaNews had an exclusive interview with Lucy Freeman, A Nigerian researcher at Amnesty International.
AfricaNews: Nigeria is 50, anything to be excited about?
Lucy Freeman (LF): Nigeria is a country of over 1…UN cautioned on anti-malaria successes
Prominent advocates for anti-malaria efforts in Africa cautioned the United Nations, that recent successes against malaria - however significant - are still fragile. Both the malaria parasite and the mosquitoes that carry it can develop resistance, to drugs as well as to insecticides, and therefore the fight against malaria must gain rather than lose momentum. - “The British army surgeon who in 1897 helped discover that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes predicted it would be eliminated in two years, but the parasite has remained a silent and stealthy killer,” said World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick, noting that the preventable and curable disease continues to have a de…Africa’s Green Revolution Forum starts
International leaders expressed their commitment to transforming agriculture in Africa while opening the inaugural African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Accra, Ghana. The AGRF, chaired by former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, is being held for the first time in Africa. - With more than 800 delegates it is one of the continent’s major gatherings of both public and private players focusing solely on agricultural development.
Mr Annan opened the event alongside H.E. John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of Ghana, Jørgen Ole Haslestad, CEO of Yara International, and Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Minister…Exclusive: AU’s ‘Young Scientist Award’
Dr Abdisalan Mohamed Noor, the AU's National Young Scientist Award winner prescribes the way forward for science in Africa. He earned the award from the AU for his extensive and significant contribution to providing the research-based evidence necessary to develop new maps of malaria risk and intervention coverage to guide malaria control policies in Kenya and across the African region. - AfricaNews: Tell us a bit about yourself?
Noor: I am a Kenyan research fellow based at the Kenya Medical Research Institute/Wellcome Trust Research Programme working in the area of the spatial epidemiology of malaria. I completed my PhD in this field in mid 2005 from the Open University and the Univ…FAO launches hunger campaign in Ghana
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Africa is set to launch an international campaign against hunger in Ghana this week. The 1billionhungry campaign highlights the growing problem of global hunger which now affects more than one billion people worldwide. - The aim of the campaign is to act as a reminder to world leaders to eliminate global hunger and deliver the L’Aquilla statement on food security by scaling up investments in agriculture and addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty. Over a quarter of a billion people in Africa currently suffer from malnutrition and 30% of Africans face hunger.
The worst hit areas are in Central and Eastern Africa with food cris…Kenyans vote in key referendum
Kenyans are voting in a referendum on a new constitution, the centrepiece of measures designed to reform politics. It limits the powers of the president and sets up a commission to settle land disputes that fuelled past violence. The referendum was part of a deal that ended deadly clashes after a disputed election in December 2007 when more than 1,000 people were killed. - Both the president and the prime minister are backing the "Yes" vote.
A reporter with the Standard newspaper, Peter Opiyo, earlier on told AfricaNews that “the Electoral Commission is adequately prepared and security has also been beefed up, especially in the region former President Moi comes from, whic…Kenyans get set for peaceful referendum
Kenyans are preparing feverishly to participate in the first ever referendum after the post election violence that hit the Eastern African nation. Reports indicate that all is set for Wednesday's referendum. Kenya's electoral body has dispatched ballot boxes and papers to all the centres for the vote. - A reporter with the Standard newspaper, Peter Opiyo, told AfricaNews that the electoral body has sensitized the populace enough for this exercise and is very optimistic everything will go well in Wednesday’s vote. “Well, the people are ready and are just waiting to cast their vote tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, the head of Kenya's electoral commission has assured Ke…Ghana: Worst flood disaster claims 35 lives
Thirty-five bodies have so far been retrieved from floodwaters across the West African nation, Ghana, by volunteers and rescue workers who described the havoc after Sunday's downpour as the worst flood disaster in country's recent history. The rains were recorded around the capital, Accra, and the central region of the country. - Averaging 24 millimetres (mm) in Accra, 50.1mm and 50.7mm in Tema and Ashaiman respectively and 84.7mm in Pokuase, the volume of the downpour came nowhere near last year’s record figure of 313 mm registered at Kaneshie, according to officials of the Meteorological Agency.
Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), however,…West Africa not ripe for common currency
West African countries are not yet ripe for a common currency like Europe because of numerous trade barriers and other commercial challenges facing the region, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamiso, said. He added that with just 10 percent of trade transaction among the region, discussion on a common currency should be the "end gain." - Ghana and Nigeria are leading the single currency drive which is expected to take off by 2015.
Sanusi said the common currency move for the region would take time before it happens, according to the Daily Trust, a Nigerian newspaper.
He said: "A common currency only makes sense after integration of the region. What is th…Ghana’s president bans ministers from WC
Ghana's president John Evans Atta Mills has ordered cabinet ministers and other government appointees of the West African country not to travel to South Africa to watch the 2010 World Cup. He said apart from those directly in charge of sports, all the others must stay in Ghana during the tournament. - “The President’s directive is in line with the fact that government business must continue while the World Cup is running,” Koku Anyidoho, Director of Communications at the Castle, said and warned “appropriate sanctions” will be applied.
However, President Mills will be at the tournament to watch Ghana’s opening match at the invitation of South Africa…Jail break in Ghana, eight on the run
Eight convicted prisoners of the Sekondi Prisons in Ghana broke jail on Sunday. The prisoners took two prison officers who were on guard duties at the prisons gates hostage, stabbed them several times with knives and knocked open the prisons armoury, making away with seven G3 riffles with ten rounds of ammunition. - Three of the jail breakers; Ebenezer Tetteh, Rafael Laweh and Rafael Bouro, a Nigerian are known to be armed robbers whose attempt to rob a bullion van at Gura Banso in the Western Region of that country was foiled by police and were convicted to serve a prison sentence of 40 years each.
The three after their conviction and sentence, are said to have retorted that they would…“I regret 2002 election boycott”
The leader of the main opposition party in the Gambia, United Democratic Party's (UDP) Ousainou Darboe, has said he regrets the boycott of the 2002 National Assembly in that country. He said he takes full responsibility for that but explained that he was misled into taking the decision and with hindsight that should not have happened. - Below is the full text of an exclusive interview with the main opposition leader in the Gambia.
AfricaNews: What moved you to enter politics?
Ousainou Darboe: Well, I hadn’t planned to enter politics or planned to become a politician but when the then military regime lifted the ban on political activities in the Gambia where all the major pol…Kofi Annan heckled in Ghana
Some students of the University of Ghana are alleged to have heckled the former UN boss, Kofi Annan, during their last graduation ceremony on the university's campus. Students from the Commonwealth Hall heckled and chanted songs in the face of Kofi Annan who is also the Chancellor of the University. - Other parents and guests of gradaunds also suffered a similar ordeal from the Commonwealth Hall students.
Authorities of the University have therefore launched an investigation into the matter to bring the culprits to book. They say the students’ behaviour tarnished the image of the university and those found to have done so will be punished appropriately.
The Acting Director o…Press freedom: Africa does not have a bad record
Africa does not have a bad record in terms of press freedom, the Secretary General of the Reporters Without Borders, Jean-Francios Julliard has said. He said although there are worse countries like Eritrea, countries like Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and Mali are shining examples of good press freedom practice in the world. - Below is a full text of an exclusive interview AfricaNews had with Jean-Francios Julliard, the Secretary General of the Reporters Without Borders.
How do you see journalism practice in Africa?
Independent journalism is very new in Africa. Many independent media appeared in the early 90's. So journalism practice is young in most of the African countries and need t…Dr. Aning: Violent wars in W/Africa are over
Violent wars in the West African sub region will not happen again, according to Dr. Kwesi Aning, a security expert and the head of research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre in Accra, Ghana. But Dr. Aning admits that there all new threats and new frontiers of violent in drugs and this could be very challenging in the coming years. - AfricaNews had exclusive interview with Dr. Kwesi Anning at his office at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre in Accra, Ghana.
Below is the full text of the interview.
AfricaNews: What is your initial observation of the disturbances in Nigeria and in Jos for instance?
Dr. Aning: Well, what is happening in Nigeria irrespective of whether i…Togo elections: President leads so far
Partial results from Togo's elections indicate that President Gnassingbe was leading with nearly 614,000 votes - about 52% - of nearly 1.19 million votes cast in 20 of 35 voting districts. Togo's opposition is alleging fraud as partial results from Thursday's presidential election come in. - Jean-Claude Codjo, an opposition member of Togo's electoral agency, walked out of a meeting in protest at what he called a "lack of transparency".
Provisional results show President Faure Gnassingbe leading rival Jean-Pierre Fabre by nearly 100,000 votes.
Counting has been delayed by a breakdown in the system transmitting figures from regions to the capital.
Both…Togo: Opposition declares victory
The opposition leader in Togo, UFC's Jean-Pierre Fabre, has declared that he has won the elections held in that country. He has therefore advised President Gnassingbe to respect the will of the people and lead a smooth transition. The government has subsequently declared a curfew through a radio announcement warning Togolese to go home by 18hrs GMT Friday. - AfricaNews reporter in Togo Kofi Agyepong says: “There is an uneasy calm in here as citizens are scared that what happened around 2005 might be revisited.”
It is expected that results may start trickling in soon and European Union observer team are expected to make an official pronouncement early Saturday.
Kofi Ag…Oil firm dismisses threat to Ghana’s find
Petroleum exploration firm, Vanco Ghana Limited, has dismissed suggestions that its oil field in the Western Region is at the centre of a possible boundary dispute between Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The company said its oilfield, known as Gyata 1, is so far away from the maritime boundary between the two countries that it cannot be the subject of any dispute. - Country manger of Vanco Limited, Kofi Afenu, said the Ivorian authorities are only seeking negotiations with Ghana over the Jubilee oilfield, which is owned by Kosmos.
Several miles away
“The distance between the boundary line and then the Gyata 1 well is more than 200 miles…quite far,” Afenu told Joy News.
…Ivory Coast lays claim to Ghana's oil
A dispute could break out between Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast, if immediate steps are not taken to enter into appropriate negotiations to redefine the international boundary between the two nations. Ghana's Western neighbor Ivory Coast is reportedly laying claims to portions of the huge oil wealth in the deep waters of the Western Region of Ghana. - In a move to save the situation, Ghana has begun an urgent move to pass a new law that seeks to establish the Ghana Boundary Commission to undertake negotiations to determine and demarcate Ghana’s land boundaries and de-limit Ghana’s maritime boundaries.
Ghana’s Parliament has therefore been tasked to race agains…CSM kills 27 in Ghana
The outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) in Ghana has killed 27 people so far. The disease started from the Upper West Region and spread to the Northern Region, killing 10 people out of the 54 reported cases in the region. This follows earlier reports of 17 deaths out of the 95 cases reported in the Upper West Region. - The 44 other people who were diagnosed with the disease in the Northern Region are undergoing treatment at various health centres in the region.
Unlike the situation in the Upper West Region, however, health officials in the Northern Region maintain that the situation there cannot be described as an outbreak, since the cases recorded fall below the alert threshold o…Ghana is second highest donor to Haiti
Ghana has been noted as the second highest donor to Haiti after Guyana based on donor countries' Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Details of financial aid and other assistance to the people of Haiti being tracked by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which was released recently by the Data Blog indicates. - The Data blog which is hosted on the UK Guardian newspapers’ website and sourced to Relief Web has shown that contributions captured as at January 24, 2010 shows Guyana as the ‘most generous’ country in terms of its financial pledges when measured against the country’s GDP. The report indicated that Guyana is the third poorest count…CAF bans Togo from future Cup of Nations
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned Togo from the next two Africa Cup of Nations, following their withdrawal from this year's tournament. The Confederation of African football (Caf) also fined the Hawks $50,000 for quitting the competition in the wake of a gun attack on the team bus in Angola. - Two members of their delegation and a coach driver were killed in the ambush, which occurred two days before the start of the tournament.
World football governing body Fifa declined to comment on the ban.
However, a statement from CAF read: "The executive committee has banned Togo from the next two African Nations Cup and fined the Togo FA 50,000 U.S. dollars,&quo…Season greetings to our readers/reporters
Your news website AfricaNews.com wishes you our cherished readers top of the season greetings. You have been with us through out this year. AfricaNews readers are the most discerning and the management of AfricaNews.com say thank you for your constructive criticism and for your contributions as well. - To our hardworking reporters we say thumbs up to you all. You made the news as and when it happened. We acknowledge the difficulties you face, Management is so proud of you and say keep up the good work.
In the years ahead, AfricaNews is focused at maintaining our status “as the largest network of African reporters” and would become your number one news provider in Africa and th…Africa walks out of climate talks
The UN climate change conference is in chaos as developing countries withdraw their participation. African delegations were angry at what they saw as moves by the Danish host government to sideline talks on more emission cuts under the Kyoto Protocol hence leading to the suspension of the summit. - As news spread around the conference centre, about 200 activists responded with chants of "We stand with Africa - Kyoto targets now".
It is unclear how matters will proceed now, though informal talks are likely.
Blocs representing poor countries vulnerable to climate change have been adamant that rich nations must commit to emission cuts beyond 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol.
…Ghana FA sanctions Essien, Muntari, Gyan
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has sanctioned three players of the national football team, the Black Stars. The three players Micheal Essien, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan have been sanctioned with a monetary fine of $5,000 each for their failure to travel for a national assignment. - "The Ghana Football Association wishes to announce that after giving hearing to Black Stars players Messrs Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien and Asamoah Gyan; it became evident that the players have shown remorse for their actions.
"Therefore after considering their interest as professional footballers and that of Ghana football, the following decisions have been taken which have to be compli…Mo Ibrahim Prize: No winner this year
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation decided Monday not to award its 2009 prize to anyone. The prize is conferred to a democratically elected former Executive Head of State or Government from a sub-Saharan African country who has served their constitutionally mandated term and has left office in the last three years. - “This year the Prize Committee has considered some credible candidates. However, after in-depth review, the Prize Committee could not select a winner,” a press release by the Foundation said.
The prize on offer for this year’s lucky winner was worth US$5,000,000 over ten years and US$200 000 a year for life. A further US$200 000 a year, for ten years, is also availab…Africa still needs aid -Kufuor
Former Ghanaian president, John Kufuor, said Africa still needs aid. Kufour was in The Hague last weekend to plead in favour of development aid to Africa. People like Dambisa Moyo, who advocates pulling the plug on development aid, do not speak for Africa, Kufuor said. "Aid is necessary, aid works," he added. - "I worry that development aid is decreasing," Kufuor told NRC Handelsblad. "Of course the donor countries have to monitor case by case to see that the money is well spent. Donor countries have to get their money's worth."
One example of a successful project, according to Kufuor, is a school meals programme in his own Ghana. For the past four year…Ghana frees 1,021 prisoners
Ghana's President John Mills granted pardon to1, 021 prisoners on the occasion of the centenary birthday of Dr Nkrumah. Beyond the humanitarian gesture, the move will also help ease the congestion at many of the country's prisons, a situation that has created a major strain on justice delivery in the country. - Those who have regained their freedom are 953 first offenders who have served at least half of their sentences, 54 seriously ill prisoners recommended by the Regional Medical Board, nine prisoners aged 70 and above also recommended by the Regional Medical Board, and five nursing mothers who have shown remorse.
Six other prisoners, who were on death row and had served 10…Ghana qualifies for 2010 World Cup
Ghana has become the first African country to qualify for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa with two more games to spare. The Black Stars eased into the finals of the World Cup after beating the Desert Hawks of Sudan by 2:0. It is a second successive World Cup qualification for the West African nations. - The Ghana team played comfortably in front of over 50,000 supporters at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in the nation’s capital, Accra.
Deploying a 4-4-1-1 formation with returnee skipper, Stephen Appiah playing just behind striker Mathew Amoah, the Stars dominated play for most part of the game.
Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari opened the scoring midway throu…Ghana: Obama pledges $63b to fight diseases
United States President, Barack Obama, has pledged $63 billion to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and polio on the African continent. He said: "We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation" Obama was addressing Ghana's parliament on Saturday. - “We will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children. As we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings,” Obama said.
As he speaks at the Ghana’s International Conference Centre, many Ghanaians and Africans as a whole watche…Obama arrives in Ghana for historic visit
US President Barack Obama and his family arrived in Accra, Ghana, Friday night for a historic visit. He was met on arrival by Ghana's President, John Mills. He is expected to deliver a message on the importance of good governance in a country that defies stereotypes of a continent blighted by conflict, coups and crisis. - It was an emotional moment for Ghana and Africans as a whole as the leader of the world's most powerful country, the son of an African immigrant, and his wife Michelle, the descendant of Africans shipped to America as slaves, stepped onto the red carpet in Accra.
Ghana was chosen because of its democratic track record and Obama is expected to use the trip to pr…Gambia to compensate 44 Ghanaians
The government of Gambia is to pay compensation to the families of the 44 murdered Ghanaians in that country in 2005. Ghana's Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Akudzeto Ablakwa, said the two governments arrived at the decision in Libya after a discussion between Presidents Atta Mills and Yahya Jammeh. - The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 11th Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which the two leaders are attending.
He said a memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed Thursday to facilitate the payment of the compensation, according to myjoyonline.
Forty four Ghanaian migrants and 10 other Africans were murdered in cold blood in The Gambia on Ju…Brazil breaks hearts of South Africans
South Africans were heart broken as the sweet sounds of the vuvuzelas died down with a goal from Brazil. An 88th-minute free-kick from Daniel Alves sent an unconvincing Brazil into the Confederations Cup final. The Bafaana Bafaana team outplayed their Brazilian counterparts but failed score. - Alves, who had only been on the field for six minutes, lashed home a direct free kick from the edge of the penalty area after South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena had fouled Ramires.
Brazil will now face United States in Sunday's final while South Africa meet Spain in the third-place playoff in Rustenburg the same day.
Itumeleng Khune made a point blank save with his feet to deny Brazil a seco…SA 2009: Confederation cup update
It was a day of contrasts on the opening day of the FIFA Confederations Cup SA 2009. Whereas the hosts and Iraq played out a goalless draw in Johannesburg, Spain put five past New Zealand in Rustenburg. Striker of Spain, Fernando Torres was the toast of his country for hitting a record-breaking hat-trick. - Not only was the game between the hosts and Iraq the first match of a FIFA tournament to take place on South African soil, it was also the match which introduced the vuvuzela to a global audience.
Millions of people all over the world heard the sound of the instrument being blown by the majority of the crowd, which added a different dimension to the already colourful atmosphere at Ell…AU lauds UN on conflict resolution
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Jean Ping has lauded the UN Security Council's effort at resolving conflicts in Africa. "The cooperation ties achieved in recent years shows that the implementation of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter by both parties, has progressed positively," he said. - Jean Ping was presiding a meeting with members of the United Nations Security Council, at the headquarters of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The delegation of the UN Peace and Security Council, were on a two-day mission to Addis Ababa.
The meeting was held prior to the joint consultation meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU/PSC) and the United Na…Barack Obama visits Ghana in July
The President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama, is expected to pay a two-day state visit to Ghana in July. The president would be accompanied by his wife, Michelle Obama and other government officials. The US President and his delegation will also visit the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. - A press statement issued by the Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in Accra noted that Barack Obama would be in Ghana from Friday, 10th to Saturday, 11th July, 2009.
“During his visit, President Obama will hold bilateral talks with his Ghanaian counterpart, President John Evans Atta Mills, aimed at strengthening the fraternal relations existing between the…Gambia blamed for 44 Ghanaian deaths
Gambia has been found liable for the mass murder of some 44 Ghanaians and natives of other West African countries, a joint UN and ECOWAS investigative team disclosed. The deceased, were found dead, 2005; in the Tangy forest in Banjul in what the Ghanaian government said was state sponsored killing. - After years of near diplomatic row between the two countries dotted with several failed commissions of enquiry, the UN and ECOWAS investigative team say the Gambian government should be held accountable.
The Government was not found directly responsible for the murders, but it failed to protect the lives of the immigrants in its jurisdiction.
By international law, countries must take respo…Ghana: Heads roll over stadium disaster
The Chief Executive Officer of defending league champions in Ghana, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Sylvestor Asare Owusu, has been banned for five years from football administration. This follows a White Paper issued by government of Ghana in support of recommendations by the James Marshall Belieb Committee. - Asare Owusu is alleged to have siphoned part of the gate proceeds accrued from the game and has there been recommended for prosecution too.
The committee was instituted to investigate the cause of the recent stadium disaster at the Baba Yara Stadium which claimed four lives and left several others with injuries.
The Chief Executive officer of the Ghana Sports Council, Prince Oduro-Mensah …Ghana: Bomb threat at Italian embassy
Hundreds of personnel from the Intelligence Unit of Ghana Police Service have surrounded the premises of the Italian Embassy in Accra after what officials say was a bomb threat tip-off. The embassy, located at the Switch Back road near the Cantonments Post Office has temporarily been shut to the public. - ACP Bright Oduro, Deputy Accra Regional Police Commander, told Joy News that apparently, a disappointed visa applicant planned to bomb the embassy, but a phone call to the embassy tipped off officials who immediately called in the police.
No bomb has been found yet, and the police say they are ready to deal with anyone who may try planting or going there with one.
Earlier, Chief Supt …World Bank supports Ghana with $1.2 billion
The World Bank will provide up to US$1.2 billion in interest-free loans to Ghana over the next three years. The Bank also launched an initiative that challenges civil society organizations to help deepen transparency; accountability by monitoring the implementation of the Bank's funded projects. - The Bank's Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili said this in Accra, Ghana during a-three day working visit to that country.
The target sectors for this future lending, according to the Bank's Country Director for Ghana, Ishac Diwan, are water and sanitation, agriculture and fisheries, energy, natural resource management, transport and budget support.
During visit, Gha…Malawi: Former president arrested
Malawi has arrested former President Bakili Muluzi on charges of stealing $11 million in donor money, the country's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said. The bureau has been investigating Muluzi for the past two years for allegedly siphoning money from Taiwan, Morocco, Libya and other donors. - "We have re-arrested him and charged him with 87 counts on allegations of siphoning over $11 million of donor money into his private account. He will appear in court today (Thursday)," ACB Director Alex Nampota said, according to Reuters.
Muluzi, who stepped down in 2004 after unsuccessfully trying to change the constitution to allow him to stand again, denies any wrongdoing.
Mul…West Africa: Anti-polio drive begins
Countries in West Africa will in the next three days begin a drive in a move to eradicate polio. In all, about twenty million children are expected to be vaccinated during this period. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers have been mobilised in eight countries to help administer the oral vaccine. - The United Nations Children's Fund is working with the various health ministries to try to rid Africa of the highly contagious and incurable virus. It spreads easily in densely populated countries with poor sanitation, according to a BBC report.
Rumours
Great strides have been made in the fight against polo in recent years, but the virus which causes paralysis has not been eradicated in…Somalia: Famous media boss assassinated
The Director of radio and TV station, HornAfrik, in Somalia, Said Tahliil Ahmed was assassinated by unknown gunmen in Mogadishu's Bakahara market on Wednesday. Narrating the incident to AfricaNews, an eyewitness and a staff with the media said he was shot several times in the head in the full glare of the public. - The eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said “He was my director and friend. I witnessed when three gunmen shot his head more than several times.”
“The cause of the assassination is still unknown but it is believed that this radical group is completely against the will of the Somali people who mainly support the newly elected moderate islamists clergy Sheik …English Premiership blackout in Africa
Africa fans of the most-watched English Premier league are irritated as the company having the broadcasting rights folded up. Gateway Broadcast Services supplied programmes under the GTV banner to countries from Kenya to Botswana and to tens of thousands of subscribers across Africa. - GTV backed several domestic leagues, including Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. The company blamed "the current financial and global crisis" for its liquidation. This had "severely interrupted the company's abilities to secure further funding", it said in a statement.
Television services have been stopped - with subscribers receiving a short message telling them the channel is off the …Ghana: Crucial run-off on Sunday
Ghana is going into a run-off come Sunday after first round of voting on December 7, could not produce a clear winner. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the elections but failed to secure the constitutionally required 50% + 1 vote hence the need to for the run-off between the two leading parties. - In the December 7 round of voting, the ruling NPP had 4,159,439 (49.13%) of the total valid votes cast. The main opposition party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also had 4,056,634 (47.92%) of the total valid votes cast.
The first round of the election which was keenly contested was lauded by many international observers as being generally peaceful, fair and transparent.
The t…AU meets on Somalia
Members of the AUs peace and Security Council are holding urgent talks on the crisis in Somalia. The meeting in Ethiopia is to focus on finding a way to strengthen the peacekeeping force in Somalia. Ethiopian force of about 3,000 troops has been backing the interim government, but is about to withdraw. - An earlier meeting of the East African regional group, Id, decided to impose sanctions on the Somali president.
The transitional government is in disarray, a BBC report said, after President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed attempted to sack Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein - a move the prime minister and parliament rejected.
Peacekeepers promised
Torn by internal conflict, Somalia has bee…Mugabe: “Zimbabwe is mine”
Mugabe has said that "Zimbabwe is mine" and rejected calls from some African leaders to step down. "I will never, never, never surrender," he told delegates of his ruling Zanu-PF. He also said he had sent a letter to the main opposition leader, Tsvangirai, inviting him to be sworn in as prime minister. - Earlier, Tsvangirai said he would pull out of power-sharing talks unless abductions of his supporters stopped.
Tsvangirai said that if the 42 missing members of the Movement for Democratic Change were not released or charged by 1 January, he would ask for the suspension of all contact and negotiations.
He said the Zanu-PF was conducting a deliberate and targeted n…CHAN: Final qualifying results
Tanzania qualified for their first major tournament in 28 years with victory over Sudan in the second leg of their final qualifying round game in the CHAN competition. A 2-1 away win on Saturday in the competition where teams may field only locally-based players put Tanzania through 5-2 on aggregate. - Tanzania has been firing blanks since making it to the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations finals. Sudan fired their coach Mohammed Abdallah Mazda following what was their first home defeat since 2005.
Henry Joseph and Nurdin Bakari scored for Tanzania, with Sudan's goal coming from Khalid Hassan.
"I am very happy and proud, Tanzanian football is now going up," said Tanzania coac…Wafu Cup: Ghana wins championship
Ghana has lifted the Ibori Cup at the Wafu Under-20 Championship after beating Senegal 5-4 on penalties today. The final match was watched by CAF President, Issa Hayatou in Nigeria. At the end of normal regulation time, the score line was 1-1, sending the game into penalties after 30mins extra time. - Dominic Adiyah scored for the Black Satellites during normal time and that was the striker's fourth goal at the tournament.
And Ghana’s Under-20 side, the Black Satellites came up tops with goalkeeper, Daniel Agyei turning the hero of the night.
Agyei saved the final kick after the Senegalese had sent their previous kick onto the crossbar. The Black Satellites scored all four k…Ghana: Election goes into second round
Ghana's election is set for a second round contest come December 28 this year. The ruling New Patriotic Party won the elections but failed to secure the constitutionally required 50% + 1 votes. The election which was keenly contested was lauded by many as generally peaceful, fair and transparent. - Ghana’s Electoral Commission announced the results of the December 7, elections on Wednesday. The Chairman of the Commission Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Djan said the NPP had 4,159,439 (49.13%) of the total valid votes cast. The main opposition party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also had 4,056,634 (47.92%) of the total valid votes cast.
The CPP came third with 113494 (1.34%) of the va…Ghana: Mammoth rallies close campaigns
The two major political parties in Ghana have held separate rallies in the Greater Accra region to drive home their messages before public campaigning officially closed midnight Friday. The flag-bearer of the NPP said Ghanaians will be punishing the country if they vote the NDC back into power. - Nana Akufo-Addo said the NDC after 19 years in office had failed to solve the problems confronting the ordinary citizen and questioned the prudence of Ghanaians giving the party their mandate.
He said for over 30 years, he had dedicated himself to serving his country and fighting for the entrenchment of democracy. That according to him had helped restore the rule of law and freedom of expression …“Sunday polls, liberation of Ghanaians”
Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings said next Sunday will be a day to liberate Ghanaians from imprisonment by the NPP as the country goes to the polls to elect a new president and parliamentarians. He said the elections will free the citizenry from eight years of hardship on utilities and high school fees. - The former president was addressing the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress supporters at a rally in Kumasi to round off the party’s campaign in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
Enthused by the large crowd the ex-president, accompanied by his wife Nana Konadu, charged TV stations covering the event to report what they witnessed.
He described the elections as t…Ghana: Special voting ends smoothly
Ghana's presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7 have kicked off with a special voting exercise for selected voters on Tuesday. Those voting today include security and allied personnel, medics, staff and officials of the Electoral Commission as well as journalists. - The special voting exercise is to free the selected voters who would be providing critical services on voting day.
Special polling centres opened at 7 am across the country for the exercise and early reports speak of smooth processes.
At the Kotobabi Police Station, where the Ayawaso Central Constituency is conducting its voting, several anxious voters have joined a long queue to cast their vo…Ghana Black Stars shock Nigeria
Ghana Black Stars local squad displayed resilience as they came from two goals down to clinch a 3-2 victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the first leg final round qualifier for the African Nations Championship. The Nigerians were two goals ahead through Musah Kabiru on Sunday in Accra. - Parading a squad with six defensive minded players in the starting team, the Stars failed to click at the early stages, allowing the Nigerians to win the midfield battle, the Ghana News Agency reported. The midfield made up of Jordan Opoku, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu, Daniel Yeboah and Francis Coffie was virtually non-existent and leaked terribly, while the composed Nigerian trio of Olawale Issaka, Henry…Ghana: Petrol tanker kills 25
Twenty-five people are burnt to death at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana after a fallen petrol tanker with registration number, GR 5145 Y, caught fire when they attempted to collect petrol from it. Many people carrying small containers rushed to the vehicle hoping to scoop some free petrol. - Several others have sustained severe burns and other injuries and have been rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital for care.
Some have been transferred by ambulance to other hospitals in the region and to a specialist burns unit in Ghana's second city, Kumasi.
A soldier had stepped out of his car and was trying to disperse the people but he too was then caught up in the expl…Equatorial Guinea beats Nigeria
Reigning champions Nigeria have lost 1-0 to hosts Equatorial Guinea in the semi-finals of the African Women's Championship. The only goal of the game came in the second half after Super Falcons' goalkeeper Precious Dede failed to deal with a free kick. Nigeria has won all previous championships. - It means that for the first time ever Nigeria will not be the champions of Africa.
The Super Falcons have struggled throughout the tournament only securing their place in the last four with a 2-1 win over South Africa in their final group match.
In their opening game Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by arch rivals Ghana and that was followed by a goalless stalemate against Tunisia.
…Zimbabwe: Kofi Annan, others refused entry
Zimbabwe has refused to let Kofi Annan and two eminent colleagues visit the country for a humanitarian mission, the personalities said Saturday. The former U.N. secretary-general, ex-U.S. President, Jimmy Carter, and rights advocate Graca Machel had planned to assess the country's needs. - They are members of The Elders group, formed by former South African President Nelson Mandela to foster peace and tackle world conflicts.
Zimbabweans are suffering from disease and hunger while political crisis over a power-sharing government occupies its politicians. A current cholera outbreak has killed nearly 300 people in Zimbabwe, the United Nations said.
But the three were told Friday nigh…Women championship: Nigeria 1 Ghana 1
Ghana and Nigeria drew 1-1 in their opening Group B contest in the 6th African Women's Championship match played in Equatorial Guinea. Ghana were three minutes away from recording a win over their rivals when Nigeria's Chijene got the equaliser after Florence Okoe had given Ghana a first half lead. - Despite the 1-1 draw, Ghana seem to have sent a clear message of their title ambitions to the other contenders in the competition hosted by Equatorial Guinea, with Nigeria, who have emerged winners in all previous editions spanning a 10-year period.
The first period of the game failed to produce any descent chances for the Ghanaians but Florence Okoe, out of nothing exhibited good t…Guinea-Bissau vote goes smoothly
Guinea-Bissau has voted in parliamentary elections that were seen as a major test of its stability. International observers said there had been a high turnout and that voting had been calm and orderly. Official results are not expected until Friday. Four parties are expected to dominate the poll. - The former Portuguese colony has had a history of coups since independence, and has become a drug smuggling hub.
Last month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that drug trafficking could wreak havoc in the West African nation, and called for the Security Council to consider imposing sanctions on those responsible.
The head of the European Union's observer team, Johan Van Hecke, t…Health alert issued in DRC
About 250, 000 people have fled the spiralling conflict in North Kivu in the east of the DRC. The escalation of hostilities has worsened the difficult situation of more than one million people already living without clean water, food and access to health care, according to World Health Organization. - The impact of armed violence on the population goes much beyond the risk of injuries but also it impacts on their access to all vital needs, a press release on Tuesday to AfricaNews stated.
The release said: “Communicable diseases are a major challenge throughout the DRC. The country has one of the world’s highest maternal and infant mortality rates. Diseases of immediate concer…Zimbabwe still in limbo
Zimbabwe has once again failed to reach a deal to end the power-sharing crisis. The opposition rejected a compromise deal for the two rival parties to split the leadership of a key ministry - Home Affairs. Southern African leaders met the two in a summit over the weekend but failed to end the stalemate. - The 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) said in a resolution Zimbabwe's squabbling political parties should form a unity government to restore peace, Reuters news agency reported.
Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said he was "shocked and saddened" by the outcome of the summit. It brought together leaders and ministers o…Mbeki blamed for 330,000 deaths
A recent Harvard School of Public Health study in SA said 330,000 deaths were caused by former President Thabo Mbeki's 1999 decision to declare available drugs toxic and dangerous. A prominent South African Aids activist said he should be called to account for his decision to block HIV medication. - Zackie Achmat said Mbeki had ignored the scientific evidence. Mbeki's spokesman referred media enquiries to the government, but no spokesman was available to comment.
Achmat, who leads the Treatment Action Campaign, which successfully lobbied for the eventual reversal of government policy, claimed Mbeki had “blood on his hands,” according to a BBC report.
He called fo…FIFA denies blocking Appiah move
FIFA has rejected claims that it has prevented Ghana captain Stephen Appiah from joining a new club. He has been without a team since terminating his contract with Turkish club Fenerbahce. A global body representing professional footballers had said that administrative bureaucracy was hindering his transfer. - But a FIFA spokesman said that the Turkish Football Federation was instructed in June to allow any potential transfer to go through should a club make a bid for Appiah, according to BBC Sport.
The player had been at the centre of speculation linking him to Arsenal which manager Arsene Wenger subsequently denied and West Ham.
“It is false that FIFA’s supposed 'ad…Al-Ahly under pressure - Coach
The coach of Al-Ahly, Manuel Jose, has said hot favourites Al-Ahly of Egypt must overcome huge pressure this weekend when they host Cotonsport Garoua of Cameroon in the first leg of the African Champions League final. Alhly is seeking to have a sixth championship title with the Portuguese coach. - "When we play at the Cairo Stadium my players are always under pressure from our supporters," admitted the 62-year-old Portuguese coach.
He said: "Away from home when Ahly are under no pressure, we perform well. We put on a good display when forcing a goalless draw against Enyimba in Aba despite playing on a terrible pitch."
"We will do our best to win the first le…“South Africa in a state of emergency”
A former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town has described poverty in SA as being worse than ever. Having met communities affected by poverty across the country, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said SA was in "a state of emergency." Official figures suggest around 25% of South Africans are unemployed. - "The anger, the frustration and the feeling of hopelessness especially among young people is a recipe for possible disaster," he said.
"Never before in the history of South Africa have such large gatherings of people consistently said 'we have no food,'" said the archbishop.
"In a country where huge amounts can be spent on [the 2010] soccer wo…U-17: FIFA confirms Nigeria decision
The host of the 2009 U-17 World Cup is unclear after FIFA confirmed Nigeria wants to pull out of hosting the event. The world body must now decide whether to help finance or look elsewhere. Executive Committee Member Chuck Blazer said Sepp Blatter is committed to holding the youth World Cup in Africa. - "I think he (Blatter) is going to continue to work to see whether they can find an appropriate alternative there first," Blazer said. Fifa said in a statement that Nigeria "is no longer in a position to provide its support for the organization of the tournament."
The Nigerian government and football officials were at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich during the week to e…Nigeria gives up under-17 event
Nigeria's Football Federation has told FIFA it wants to pull out of hosting the Under-17 World Cup in 2009. The Nigerian government had already said that funding the $30 million budget was not a priority. The president CAF, Issa Hayatou, said he is "extremely disappointed and shocked" by the move. - In a letter, Hayatou reminded the NFF that only African countries had been able to bid for the event because of the senior World Cup in South Africa 2010, according to the BBC.
"The decision ... is embarrassing not only for CAF but for the whole African continent," he wrote. He called on Nigeria to change its mind.
"We count on your wisdom to review this decis…Text messages tackle HIV in South Africa
The popularity of mobile phones in South Africa is helping to tackle HIV and Aids in that country. Project Masiluleke will send one million free text messages a day to push people to be tested and treated. Approximately 350,000 people die of Aids-related diseases in that country every year. - Trials of the system showed that calls to counsellors at the National Aids helpline in Johannesburg increased by 200% when messages were broadcast.
"I think this is the largest ever use of mobile phones for health information," said Gustav Praekelt, one of the project's originators.
Test case
The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with …Kenya set to get truth commission
Kenya's parliament has approved a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission to probe human rights violations. Those found guilty of genocide and other human rights violations will not be eligible for amnesty. An international tribunal has been urged to try those behind the clashes. - The move comes amidst debate on how to deal with those implicated in the violence that broke out after the disputed elections in December 2007.
More than 1,500 people were killed and some 300,000 more fled their homes in the unrest.
President Mwai Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga, now prime minister, signed a power-sharing deal in February to bring an end to the crisis and …SA: Crime-fighting unit abolished
Parliament in SA has voted to abolish the country's independent crime-fighting unit, the Scorpions. The body has been behind several high-profile political investigations, including a corruption probe against ruling party leader Jacob Zuma. He is expected to become president after polls next year. - Opposition parties accuse the governing African National Congress of waging a political campaign against the unit. The parliamentary debate and vote had been seen as formalities, as the ANC had already spelled out plans to disband the Scorpions.
They followed a series of failed attempts by opposition parties and members of the public to save the body. The ANC-dominated parliament voted b…Nigeria U-17 World Cup in doubt
Nigeria may be forced to quit as hosts of the 2009 Under-17 World Cup, after the country's government said it cannot afford to provide the money needed to stage the competition. The Nigerian government decided that the $30 million required was not seen as a priority. - Nigeria President Umaru Yar'Adua told his cabinet that he is not convinced that hosting the tournament in November of next year will help develop the country's sports.
"It is clear that hosting the competition, as prestigious as it may appear, is not a priority of government and the president has made it clear he would not fund any project that is not a priority," a government official said.
Ya…AU: Food crisis could defeat MDGs
Many African nations will not meet the UN's poverty reduction goals in the face of high food prices and global financial turmoil, the AU has warned. The MDGs is to reduce by half the number of people living on less than $1 a day, number of people suffering from hunger and boost development aid by 2015. - "It is very sad to note that many African countries will not be able to achieve the MDGs by 2015 unless the food crisis is addressed," Jean Ping, chairman of the African Union Commission, told officials meeting in the Ethiopian capital.
"The current global financial crisis is also likely to adversely impact on African economies, including the price of food, foreign dir…2010 World Cup draw: The groups
The draw for the final round of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations has taken place in Zurich, with interesting outcomes. Ghana has been handed a tough group in the final qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup as the Black Stars play Benin, Sudan and Mali in Group D. - The Black Stars have been paired against the three countries who played at the recent African Cup of Nations in Ghana. This shows that Ghana's three opponents have made important strides in their game over the past few years.
Ghana will host Benin in their group opening game on 29 March while Mali travels to face Sudan.
The Black Stars final game will be against Mali and the good news is that the …Confederation cup: Sfaxien join Etoile in final
Confederation Cup holders CS Sfaxien will play Tunisian rivals Etoile du Sahel in this year's final of the competition, after beating Club Africain 2-0. Sfaxien's Abdel Karim Nafti put the defending champions ahead with a first-half free kick. - Defender Karim Ben Amor scored an injury-time winner from outside the box to send Club Africain, another Tunisian sides, out.
Etoile reached the final after beating Algeria's JS Kabylie 2-0. The finalists will contest the first leg of the deciding tie on the weekend of 7-9 November, with the second leg two weeks later.
Haras El Hadood of Egypt took second place in Group A behind Sfaxien, after beating Angolan side InterClube 4-…Nigeria: Malaria kills 401 people
Malaria has killed 401 people in northern Nigeria's Katsina state, according to local health officials. "In the last 28 days 401 people have died of malaria which has become endemic in the state," Halliru Idris, director of public health in Katsina, has said. - The death toll could be much higher because this figure does not reflect those who died at home, he said.
WHO has recorded up to 50,311 malaria cases in Katsina state since September 19, which Idris attributes to the unusually heavy rainfall recorded this rainy season, according to IRIN news.
“We have recorded high rainfall this year, which means more and more mosquitoes breed in the standing water that re…Champions League: Ahly, Cotonsport for Final
Egyptian side Al Ahly will meet Cotonsport of Cameroon in the final of the 2008 African Champions League after beating Enyimba 1-0 in Cairo on Saturday. The five-time champions beat the Nigerian side by the same aggregate score after Flavio headed home compatriot Gilberto's corner after 26 minutes. - The lead was no less than Al Ahly deserved after opening the scoring after 14 minutes only to see Mohamed Barakat's goal wrongly disallowed for offside. Bidding to reach their first final since 2004, two-time champions Enyimba rarely troubled the Egyptian defence.
'The People's Elephant' arrived in town with all eyes on striker Stephen Worgu, the leading Champions Le…Ghana’s president to sue opposition party
President John Kufuor of Ghana has issued a 14-day ultimatum to leaders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), and persons said to be circulating information that he has been involved in a botched multi-million dollar oil deal to retract and apologise or prepare to meet him in court. - The Presidential Spokesperson, Andrew Awuni, described the allegation as 'wicked liars' and a figment of the imagination of his accusers, but he wants them to retract and apologize to him or meet him in court to prove their case.
The Weekly Standard newspaper, edited by Victor Smith, a former special aide to ex-President Rawlings, has been serializing what it describes as excerpts …Guinea Bissau: Child trafficking declining
Child trafficking from Guinea-Bissau to Senegal is on the decline, partly due to better collaboration among local residents, civil society groups and government, local authorities said. Government officials and aid workers say more and more sectors are on the watch for suspicious movement of children. - “Now a whole new set of actors are involved who weren’t in the past – border police, governors, even truck-drivers unions, and we receive information from surveillance committees every two to three weeks about what is going on,” Karyna Gomes, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson in Bissau, told IRIN.
Abdoulaye Diallo, governor of the Guinea-Bissau town of…West Africans among world’s hungriest
West Africa is among the hungriest regions in the world. The 2008 Global Hunger Index said sub-Saharan African countries have the highest level of hunger in the world, with Niger, Sierra Leone and Liberia experiencing "extremely alarming levels of hunger." This is still an improvement over 1990 levels. - The study, released on 14 October by the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute, Ireland’s Concern Worldwide and Germany’s Welthungerhilfe, compiled the most recent country data available from 2006. It calculated the rankings based on the percentage of malnourished people, under-five underweight children, and under-five child mortality for 120 countries w…Nigeria: NASSI to create 10m jobs
Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists has concluded arrangements to begin the implementation of six-phase NASSI Empowerment Project tagged: "Project NASSI" to create 10 million green jobs yearly and alleviate poverty in the country. The project coordinator, Ike Onyechere, said. - According to Onyechere, the programme is aimed at empowering its members and other stakeholders with information on industrial development initiative, government policies, programmes, incentives and strategies as well as builds their capacity for basic entrepreneurial management.
The project which would kick off with a national stakeholders’ summit on Sustainable Industrial Developme…Ghana: President escapes plane death
Ghana`s president John Kufuor escaped death narrowly when his presidential jet developed a technical glitch mid-air on his way to Equatorial Guinea. The President returned to Accra 20 minutes after taking off. He was scheduled to participate in the 40th independence celebration of that country. - The temperature within the cabin began to rise a few minutes into the flight, due to what the pilot - Air Commodore Michael Sampson Oje - said was the failure of the pressure system. He said the only option was to ground the plane, myjoyonline.com reported.
The journey was aborted with President Kufuor’s consent. The plane landed safely on the tarmac from where it had lifted up into the ai…WB: Nigeria safe from global financial crisis
The World Bank has assured Nigeria that global financial crisis will not affect the country. It is coming a month after the Central Bank of Nigeria had envisaged a minimal impact of the global financial turmoil on the country, owing to what is referred to as very strong macro-economic fundamentals. - But the World Bank believes that with the Nigerian banking system not having significant foreign ownership, especially in the United States, for instance, it stands the least chance of experiencing the current turbulent situation of the U.S. banking system.
Presently, Nigeria and South Africa which have the largest economies in Africa have foreign ownership share of just less than five percent …Survey: Africa improves in governance
Governance has improved in almost two-thirds of the countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to an index published. The 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance said 31 of 48 sub-Saharan nations recorded higher scores than in last year's survey, with Liberia the best improver, the survey said. - Mauritius was the best-run country and Somalia the worst. "People look at headlines from two or three countries and forget there are 55 countries in Africa and in most of them life is normal," Mo Ibrahim told Reuters during the launch of his foundation's index in Ethiopia.
"Governance performance across a large majority of African countries is improving...I hope these re…More jobs for African immigrants
The EU is to open its first immigration centre outside Europe in Bamako, Mali. The EU hopes the new centre will help people find legal work in Europe and cut down on illegal migration. It is not clear how many jobs will be advertised. It will also raise awareness about the dangers of illegal migration. - The European Commission says the new centre offers guidance on legal migration and helps with job training and the search for work abroad. Thousands of young West Africans try to make it into Europe illegally each year and many die on the way, the BBC reported.
Mali has been chosen for good reason. The West African nation is at the centre of well established migration routes. Thousands o…Egypt to reopen embassy in Iraq
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed, Aboul Gheit, has promised to reopen an embassy in Baghdad soon. He made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday in a move to establish friendship. He was accompanied by Oil Minister, Sameh Fahmy, in the first high-level Egyptian delegation to that country since 2005. - Washington and Baghdad have long complained that other Arab states, mostly run by Sunni Muslims, have given the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad the cold shoulder since the fall of Saddam Hussein, even as non-Arab Iran has increased its clout, Reuters reported.
Gheit and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told reporters at a news conference that Egypt would soon re-open its embassy …ACP group to meet EU on EPA
The Heads of States and Governments of the ACP Group have resolved to engage in high-level consultations on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA's) with a number of EU states. This is to make it more inclusive to foster regional integration. The decision was reached at the Group's summit in Accra. - This formed part of a three-point decision taken at their two-day meeting in Accra. They directed the President of the Council and Secretary-General of the Group to explore by the end this month, modalities for conducting the high-level engagement with key stakeholders in the EU.
The Leaders also instructed the Council of Ministers to work on the creation of an ACP Free Trade Are…Catholics to attend church on Saturday
Catholics in Ghana will not go to church on Election Day, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, to enable them exercise their franchise instead this will happen in the evening of Saturday Dec 6. The decision was reached by the Catholic Bishop Conference. They urged Ghanaians to live in peace because they are one people. - The church has decided to hold church service on Sunday, Dec. 7 in the evening of Saturday, Dec. 6, in line with liturgical norms which dictate that “the observance of Sunday and of solemnities begins with the evening of the preceding day,” the Daily Graphic reported.
The date for this year’s general election, which falls on a Sunday, has generated serious concerns amo…SA: Government supports Mbeki
South Africa's new government has called on Thabo Mbeki to continue mediating in Zimbabwe's political crisis. He brokered a power-sharing deal in that country last month, but his role was thrown into doubt after South Africa's ruling ANC forced him to resign days later, Reuters reported. - Pressure for the former South African leader to become involved again has grown as Mugabe's party and the opposition have reached deadlock over the allocation of posts in a unity government to be set up under the September 15 deal.
The impasse threatens to delay efforts to revive Zimbabwe's shattered economy, suffering inflation of about 11 million percent and widespread shortages…UN fears for Zimbabwe
UN has expressed fears for the people of Zimbabwe on the deepening food crisis in that country. About half the population could soon be in need of constant food aid and medical assistance, BBC reported. It said three million people were already reliant on aid, and that figure could rise to five million. - The United Nations Humanitarian Chief, John Holmes, said the situation was already grave and deteriorating. However, he acknowledged that access for aid agencies had improved greatly since a political power-sharing deal was signed two weeks ago.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF agreed to work together after years of political…Ghana’s president wins award
President Kufuor of Ghana has been named winner of the 2008 Chatham House Prize. The award is to show for his sterling stewardship as he enters the twilight of his two-term presidency. It is for his tireless and selfless mediation in multiple crises across the continent as chairman of the AU in 2007. - The award is also in recognition of the Kufuor’s positive role in mediating conflicts with Ghana's immediate neighbours, including Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire, as well as making economic growth a priority and contributing to social freedom and the development of a robustly free press in Ghana.
In August 21, 2008, He also own the "Merit Award for Excellence"from the A…Lesotho discovers largest diamond
One of the world's largest diamonds has been found in the southern African kingdom of Lesotho. The mining group, Gem Diamonds, said on Sunday that it is a near-flawless white gem weighing nearly 500 carats. It was discovered in the Letseng Mine on September 8, the company said in a press statement. - It has been analyzed by experts in Antwerp and found to weigh 478 carats, with very few inclusions and of outstanding colour and clarity, the Reuters news agency reported. “It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D colour round polished diamonds in history,” the company said.
Letseng is one of the most productive mines in history - four of the world's 2…Fast internet for Africa in 2010
Cheap and high-speed web access via satellite will be provided to millions of people in Africa and other emerging markets by 2010. Google and Europe's biggest bank HSBC partnering with cable operator Liberty Global would provide the services. Three billion people are to benefit from the project. - A group called O3b Networks - stands for the "other 3 billion" people who do not have access to the internet – are helping to roll out the project. Reuters reports say the project will provide high-speed backhaul for telecoms’ operators and Internet providers, which can then sell services to businesses and consumers.
South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel hailed …
