Violence continues in Egypt Monday even after President Hosni Mubarak sacked his government and appointed an unprecedented vice president late last week. Angered protesters say the reform is too little and too late, and vowed to press for the ousting of Mubarak's 30-year-old regime. - The largest opposition group Brotherhood and other opposition parties plan a one-million-march for Tuesday meant to finally stamp out President Muburak, according to Aljazeera. Noble Prize winner and main opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei, who flew into the country from exile last week, currently spearheads the protests. He has been delegated by the opposition bloc to negotiate with the embattled Pres…

Egyptian-born Nobel Prize winner and opposition figure Mohamed el Baradeï arrived in Cairo from exile on Thursday to participate in the ongoing anti-Hosni Mubarak nation-wide protests,which have entered the fourth day. He told reporters at Cairo airport that it was time for a change in Egypt, and that he was ready to head a transitional period towards an open, free and fair presidential election. - He said he would join thousands of Egyptians who plan to continue protests across the nation on Friday immediately after Muslim prayers. Egypt’s largest opposition group, the Brotherhood, says they will take part in Friday’s demonstrations. Government forces have beefed up securi…

Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets on Tuesday calling for the departure of President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the Arab world's most populous nation for nearly three decades, French Radio FRI said. Braving tight police security, the Tunisia-inspired demonstrators marched for hours across the streets in the capital Cairo, and in Alexandria, Ismailia and Mehalla. - The hugest gathering took place at Tahrir centre in Cairo, where youths, carrying placards with hostile messages, chanted “Mubarak must go”, “Tunisia solution is the best,” AFP said. Riots police used teargas to disperse the crowd, but instead the gathering thickened, according to eyewitnes…

Several Korean construction sites in Libya have suffered attacks by groups of local residents, Korean news site Arirang said on Sunday. Seoul's foreign ministry reported that dozens of Libyans broke into the construction sites on the 14th and 15th of January causing damage to property estimated at 45 billion won or around 40 million US dollars, and injuring scores of construction workers. - High-priced construction equipment and building materials were also looted. The report however noted that the attacks did not target just Korean builders since contractors from other countries including Turkey and Malaysia suffered similar damage as well. An official from the International Cont…

Thirty-three members of Tunisia's former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's family were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of state crime, TV7 said on Wednesday showing images of seized gold and jewellery. A statement read out on the state television said "Investigations will be carried out in order for them to face justice." - No further details were given on the ex-president’s family members or the condition of their arrest. Radio France International on Monday reported that Ben Ali’s second wife fled with one and half tons of gold worth 45,000 euro. Interim President Foued Mebazaa has promised to sever every ties with Ben Ali’s era, but many Tunisia…

The Egyptian man charged with the shooting and killing of seven people outside a church on Coptic Christmas Eve has been sentenced to death, Egypt's Daily News said Monday. Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Hassan killed six Coptic Christians and one Muslim in Naga Hammadi on Coptic Christmas Eve of January 6. - The defendant had been charged along with two other men, both of whom are accused of massacre and are awaiting sentencing. Korashi Abol-Haggag Mohamed and Hendawy Mohamed Sayed Hassan are expected to be sentenced to death as well. The verdict was received with cheers by the Copts as violence had escalated following the New Year's Eve bombing that left 23 people dead and more tha…

The World Bank projects Algeria's economic growth to stand at 4.1% between 2011 and 2012, compared with 2.4% in 2010, according to a WB report published by Global Arab Network. Current account balance will remain positive to stand at +6.2% of GDP in 2011 and +3.4% in 2012, against +4.6% in 2010, the report said. - The WB forecasts the North African country's current account balance to reach a ratio of +5.6% for 2011 as opposed to +2.7% for 2010. The report shows that Algeria is one of the few countries in the Middle East and North Africa to maintain a ratio of positive current account balance in relation to GDP. Algeria made significant improvements in its main macroeconomic …

Six Moroccan extremists suspected of using the Internet to plan acts of sabotage involving the use of car bombs both inside and outside the North African country have been arrested by authorities, according to an AFP news report. - In a statement published Tuesday, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said ring members had developed considerable expertise in bomb-making through the Internet and were planning to carry out acts of sabotage involving the use of car bombs. “The suspects were targeting some foreign interests in the kingdom as well as several key national installations and security posts,” the statement added. No details on how the ring was dismantled were given, bu…

For the first time since he was sworn in, beleaguered President Laurent Gbagbo made a live radio and TV broadcast Tuesday night, assuring Ivorians "I am the president of Ivory Coast... I don't want any civil war here and I don't want the blood of any Ivorian to be spilled." - He said he was ready to hold talks with rival Alassane Ouattara and wants the international community to organize “a post-election crisis” mediation. But Ouattara’s camp rejected the call without delay, saying it is another attempt to gain time and mislead the international community. Earlier on Tuesday, Ouattara’s Prime Minister Soro Guillaume called on Ivorian workers …

The Nigerian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said its embassy in Abidjan, Ivory Coast was attacked by gunmen, prompting the evacuation of all its diplomats from the troubled country. Nigerian Foreign Minister Odein Ajumogobia did not give details of the attack or identities of the perpetrators, but confirmed arrangements were being made to evacuate Nigerian nationals from Ivory Coast. - “We had to evacuate all our diplomats because our embassy in Cote d'Ivoire was attacked,” Ajumogobia told Reuters on Tuesday. “Arrangements are also being made to evacuate Nigerian citizens in that country.” Anti-western sentiment is on the rise in Ivory Coast in the wake of the cr…

Higher food and education costs pushed Morocco's year-on-year inflation to 2.6 percent in November, official data reported by Reuters showed on Monday, exceeding for the first time the government's 2010 inflation forecast. - Compared with the previous month, prices fell 0.7 percent after a 1.6 percent drop in food and beverage prices, said HCP, Morocco's economic planning and statistics authority. Food and beverage prices, which account for more than 40 percent of the North African country's consumer price index, rose 5.2 percent in the 12 months to end-November, while education costs rose 4.6 percent over the same period, HCP said in a statement. Morocco's fin…

The UN Security Council meets on Monday to discuss whether to renew or not the mandate of its troops in Ivory Coast (ONUCI), which expires end of December. Embattled incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo on Saturday ordered the UN troops and French soldiers in the country to "depart with immediate effect" accusing them of furnishing military aid to northern rebels, which the mission denied. - UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon rejected the order without delay, reiterating that ONUCI will accomplish its mission of “peacekeeping” in the troubled West African country. President-elect Alassane Ouattara and his Prime Minister Soro Guillaume said Gbagbo’s demand is …

International pressure on Ivory Coast incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to cede power intensified on Friday after more than 20 opposition protesters were killed during Thursday's demonstration meant to install new personnel at the state TV RTI, which is one of Gbagbo's major weapons of administration. - President-elect Alassane Ouattara, who is still holed up in a four-star Abidjan hotel with his ministers, had called on his supporters to storm the state TV on Thursday, but the marchers were dispersed by heavily armed anti-riot squad who used teargas and live bullets on the civilians, according to Amnesty International and the Red Cross. More than 20 people were killed and clo…

Two soldiers of Ivory Coast's New Forces (FN) - ex-rebel faction who assist the UN soldiers in securing the hotel where opposition president-elect Alassane Ouattara and his ministers are staying - were killed during Thursday's street protest while they were engaged in exchange of fire with soldiers loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. - According to Ouattara’s spokesman Meité Seydou, the two elements were killed while their army escorted the motorcade of Ouattara’s ministers from the hotel to the state TV premises and was halted by Gbagbo’s soldiers, sparking an exchange of fire which lasted for about 30 minutes, according to AFP. Hospital sources have confirmed …

Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan is currently paralysed by opposition protesters who are marching to seize state TV and install new personnel, in accordance with directives from the president-elect Alassane Ouattara, who called on supporters to accompany his ministers to occupy the strategic media house, which is guarded by heavily armed forces loyal to incumbent President Gbagbo. - AFP reported that at least four people have been killed by live bullets as security forces tried to disperse the determined marchers. Three bodies were found at the commercial neighbourhood of Adjame, where a huge number of Ouattara’s supporters live. The AFP reporter also said she saw another body with…

Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast's main opposition leader and the man declared by the election commission as the winner of the November 28 presidential run-off, has called for mass protest marches on Thursday and Friday, meant to seize the state TV RTI and the state house - two strategic institutions heavily secured by armed men loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. - Ouattara’s Prime Minister Soro Guillaume on Tuesday said the move was to step up the process of seating his government in the state house and start functioning properly. Ouattara, who runs a parallel government to Gbagbo’s, is holed up in a lagoon-front hotel together with a dozen of his ministers, who are protected…

At least 47 Algerian illegal immigrants who were travelling in two wooden boats to Italy went missing in the Mediterranean Sea, Xinhua said on Monday. Algerian coast guards alerted their counterparts in the Italian islands of Sardinia and Cecily about the incident. - The immigrants, aged between 16 and 39, who hailed from various eastern provinces, sailed from Annaba and Taref in eastern Algeria in two wooden boats, a security official said. The relatives of the immigrants contacted the coast guards Sunday after they lost contact with the boats. They sailed under difficult weather conditions amid high waves, the source added. Algeria's coast guards have deployed units to search…

Ivory Coast incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo on Sunday accused some foreign diplomats based in the country of trying to discreetly persuade a number of army chiefs to abandon him for his rival Alassane Ouattara's camp. - “For several days, civil and military members of certain Western chancelleries in Abidjan have discreetly approached senior officers in our national army,” newly appointed Interior Minister Emile Guirieoulou alleged on state TV RTI. He warned that Gbagbo's government “will no longer tolerate meddling by any diplomat in the internal affairs of the state of Ivory Coast.” Earlier on Thursday, Gbagbo, conscious of his isolation from the …

After ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States], the African Union [AU] on Thursday suspended the Ivory Coast from all its activities until democratic order is restored in the West African country, according to a statement released by the regional bloc's Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra and published by AFP. - “The Peace and Security Council did formally acknowledge that Mr. Alassane Ouattara is the president-elect of Cote d'Ivoire,” said Lamamra. “The same council decided to suspend Cote d'Ivoire until such time as Mr. Alassane Ouattara, the democratically elected president, will take over effectively.” The measure comes afte…

After five days of intense negotiations, the U.N. Security Council adopted a common resolution recognising Ivory Coast's opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as president-elect from the critical November 28 presidential run-off against incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who continues to spurn calls from the international community to accept defeat and step down. - The 15-member council based their text on the position of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa States), which declared Ouattara as the true winner in reference to a certification of the vote provided by the UN mission currently operating in the West African country. “In view of ECOWAS' recognition of Mr. …

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday suspended the troubled West African country, Ivory Coast, from the regional bloc after an extraordinary summit held in the Nigerian capital Abuja tried to resolve the political deadlock in the country. - Only seven heads of state out of the 15-member body took part in the meeting which issued a joint communiqué recognising Ivorian opposition leader Alassane Ouattara as the president-elect from the hotly contested November 28 run-off, and asking incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to cede power “without delay”. Gbagbo, whom the country’s Constitutional Council declared the winner of the poll after invalidatin…

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's protocol chief has been arrested in France at the request of Tripoli on suspicion of embezzlement, AFP said on Tuesday. Nuri Al-Mismari, a former close aide to the veteran Libyan leader, was presented to prosecutors in Versailles near Paris on Monday. - He was detained while French authorities examine Libya's extradition request, according to officials. Libya has 30 days to present supporting documents for its request that back up their accusations that Al-Mismari had embezzled state funds, AFP said. Al-Mismari, who was arrested Sunday in a Paris suburb where he was temporarily living, had fled to France to seek asylum.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has said that freed Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi would sue the British government for "false imprisonment", the Daily Mirror said on Monday. Gaddafi said the case against Megrahi had "been created by" former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and ex-US President Ronald Reagan. - The Libyan leader went further to say that CIA agents had been behind the 1988 terror attack on the Pan Am plane which blew up over Scotland killing 270. Speaking via video link to an audience at the London School of Economics he said: “The charges directed towards Libya were based on unfounded evidence in an attempt to weaken the Libyan Revolution an…

The political impasse in the Ivory Coast exacerbated on Sunday after incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and elected President Alassane Ouattara both named their PMs and cabinet ministers, spurning the mediation of former South Africa President Thambo Mbeki, who arrived in the West African country Sunday morning as special envoy of the African Union. - Ouattara, who was declared winner of the November 28 run-off with 54%, named former rebel chief and Gbagbo’s ex-prime minister Soro Guillaume as prime and defence minister. Soro immediately formed a government composed of 13 ministers, and later told AFP he was ready to “kick Gbagbo off his seat if he refused to go.” Gbag…

Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was invested by midday on Saturday as the fifth president of the Ivory Coast amid calls on him from the international community to accept defeat from the November 28 run-off, which gave victory to his rival ex-PM Alassane Ouattara with 54.10%, as announced by the election commission (CEI). - The Constitutional Council annulled Ouattara’s victory following complaints of “massive frauds in the rebel-north” lodged by the ruling LMP party. But the UN special representative denounced the Constitutional Council’s decision and certified Ouattara as the new president. Ivory Coast Prime Minister Soro Guillaume released a statement shortly …

Ivorians woke up Saturday morning with two presidents: one is incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, supposedly beaten in the November 28 run-off but confirmed as winner by the Constitutional Council on Friday. The other is ex-PM Alassane Ouattara, who was declared winner on Thursday by the chairman of the election commission (CEI) with a 54.09% score, which was annulled hours later by the Constitutional Council, but was confirmed some hours later by the special representative of UNs Secretary General. - The Constitutional Council is the highest jurisdiction in the country and its ruling cannot be appealed, but a Burkina Faso brokered peace deal in 2007 between Ivory Coast’s northern rebe…

The military in the Ivory Coast closed that country's borders with its neighbours and blocked foreign media as tensions rise over the outcome of the presidential election run-off. "The air, land and sea border of the country are closed to all movement of people and goods," Ivorian military spokesman Babri Gohourou said. - The border would remain closed until further notice, Gohourou added. The move was necessitated after the election commission (CEI) chairman Youssoufu Bakayoko on Thursday evening announced that opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara has won with 54.10% of votes against incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo who scored 45.9%. The provisional results were rej…

After four days of intense wait, Ivory Coast election commission (CEI) chairman Yousssof Bakayoko on Thursday evening announced provisional result of the country's November 28 run-off between incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara. Ouattara won with a score of 54%, while Gbagbo got 46%. - But the constitutional council, run essentailly by Gbagbo's men, needs to confirm the result in the days to come. The constitutional council chairman Yao N'Dri held a press conference moments before the announcement, during which he asked the election commission to transfer all partial results in its possession to the council for treatment, because the …

At least five militants of Ivory Coast presidential run-off candidate Alassane Ouattara were killed at a party office during a dusk-till-dawn curfew that was prolonged until next Sunday. Reports say unidentified armed men bust the opposition RHDP party office in Yopougon, and fired live bullets at some 50 party members watching TV and awaiting results. - “We heard screams of people inside the building, calling for help. And then we heard several bullets shots,” a neighbour told AFP. A police source and a local RHDP official confirmed eight deaths and 15 injured. Result of the second round run-off is yet to be published. The three-day constitutional period for the election c…

Results from Egypt's November 28 legislative elections are expected on Tuesday, but independent monitors say the polls were marred by several deaths, violent clashes, intimidation and ballot stuffing. Organizers put voter turnout around 25 percent, slightly lower than five years ago. - Local media reported that up to four people were killed in election-related violence while monitors said they had recorded numerous electoral violations, including ballot stuffing and denying voters access to polling stations. Hamdy Abdel Sabur, a supporter of a Muslim Brotherhood candidate in Assyut, in Upper Egypt, “was shot dead by supporters of a candidate from the ruling National Democratic …

Two people were killed during Ivory Coast second round presidential run-off held on Sunday, bringing the number of deaths in the days leading to the polls to six, after three opposition rioters lost their lives on Saturday in Abidjan and one pro-incumbent president militant was reported killed in the hinterland. - However, independent observers said the vote was generally peaceful but that turnout was below the 82% reached in the first round, probably due to the tense atmosphere prior the exercise, even when a cordial live TV debate between the two candidates on list, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and ex-Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, was judged to be reassuring by many. Ouattara,…

Campaigns for Ivory Coast's second round presidential run-off end today by midnight, with some 5.7 million voters expected to turn out on Election Day of November 28. The week-long campaigns have been marked by verbal and physical confrontations between militants of both candidates. - Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, who finished first in the first round with 38% has been accusing his run-off rival former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara (32%) to have spearheaded the country’s 1999 military coup and the 2002 rebellion. Ouattara denies the accusations calling on Gbagbo to provide the proofs. About half a dozen of deaths and dozens of injured victims during minor conflicts bet…

About 200 Egyptian Orthodox Coptic Christians staged a protest in Cairo on Tuesday over the refusal of the authorities to let them finish building a new church, witnesses and security sources. A security source said some 13 protesters were detained in scuffles in the Giza area of Cairo. - Security and medical sources said several police and protesters were injured in the protest. Witnesses say police fired tear gas to break up the demonstration while protesters hurled stones at them, according to Reuters. Church permits are often a source of tension, as Christians say they are not given the same freedom to build places of worship as Muslims. Christians said they did have permission …

Algeria Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia who arrived in Iran Sunday for a two-day official visit met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday for talks on boosting bilateral ties to "correct" the world order, according to the AFP. - Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying in the meeting that relations between Tehran and Algiers could "influence" international affairs. No further details filtered out of their talks. "Independent countries, using logical and humane policies, can play a role in international developments and correct global equations in favour of justice," Ahmadinejad said in a statement posted on his personal website. Iran’s television…

Campaigns for the second round run-off of Ivory Coast's presidential election began last Saturday for incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and former PM Alassane Ouattara - the two best finishers out of 14 candidates from the first round held on October 31. The campaigns will last for one week, with the run-off holding on November 28. - Both candidates used harsh words on each other in the first day of campaign, an attitude many observers and human rights groups fear could worsen the already tense situation in a country emerging gradually out of almost a decade of political crisis. Gbagbo blasted his rival at a rally in Agboville, a small town south of Abidjan from where he chose to la…

More than 100 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group were arrested across Egypt on Friday ahead of november 28 legislative elections, AFP said. Hamdy Hassan, spokesman for the Brotherhood's parliamentary bloc, confirmed the arrest of over 100 Brotherhood supporters from different cities. - “What happened today are not just assaults, it was more like war. Police fired at the crowds. Some people were injured,” Hassan told Reuters, adding that he had witnessed clashes in Alexandria. Police sources say about 200 people were detained in Nile Delta cities and places near Cairo while 24 more were detained in the coastal town of Alexandria, north of Cairo. Another Brot…

Egyptian authorities have declined the observation of November 28 parliamentary elections by foreign parties, calling it an "interference in Egypt's affairs," AFP said on Thursday. The United States and other countries had asked to allow foreign observers to monitor the upcoming elections to guarantee a free and fair vote. - Phillip Crowley, a U.S. State Department spokesman said earlier this week that Washington supports a free electoral process in Egypt. “Such a process would include a credible and impartial mechanism for reviewing election-related complaints, a domestic election observation effort according to international standards and the presence of internation…

A court in Tunis has sentenced 23 Tunisian nationals to jail after they were found guilty of joining insurgents in Iraq and plotting attacks in the North African country. Samir Ben-Amor, a prominent human rights lawyer who represented them said no details were given by the court on what sort of attacks had been planned. - Ben-Amoar said one of those found guilty was dead and another three were on the run. Mohammed Akkari – one of the accused - admitted that he fought U.S. troops in Iraq before being detained there and then released, according to Ben-Amor. One of those found guilty of joining insurgents in Iraq and undergoing military training outside Tunisia, whom Ben-Amor identi…

Libyan authorities ordered a diplomat at the United States embassy in Tripoli to leave the country within 24 hours for breaching diplomatic rules. The Libyan government gave no details of the expulsion and that a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Tripoli said it had no comment. - Also, the State Department in Washington said it had no immediate comment. “The Libyan authorities asked the Political Affairs Secretary at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli to leave Libya within 24 hours,” Reuters quoted the Internet edition of the Libyan Oea newspaper as saying. “The expulsion followed the diplomat's visit to the city of Ifrane, 130 km (80 miles) south-west of the Tripoli. A…

Algerian police have dismantled a band of currency forgers who have injected some 48 million euros in fake banknotes on to the market. "This is believed to be one of the biggest networks of traffickers using Algeria for their main target". There has been no details of the crackdown operation. - According to police sources, the forgers – three in number - put the equivalent of five billion Algerian dinars (48 million euros, 68 million dollars) into circulation, in dinars, euros and other currencies. The three men, aged between 27 and 35, were unemployed and had no previous criminal record, but the paper said that they had established ties with the mafia in Italy and France.…

Ivory Coast's former President Henri Konan Bédié, who with 25.24% vote finished third behind incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo (38.03%) and ex-Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara (32.08%) in Sunday's presidential election, released a statement on Thursday calling for a ballot recount after accusing the election commission (CEI) of "electoral robbery". - The statement said the CEI intentionally barred representatives of political parties from observing the counting and tallying process as stipulated in a signed agreement between the CEI and political parties. The EU observers had also denounced this situation a day ago. The statement added that Bédié had been in good pos…

Ivorians heaved a sigh of relief Wednesday night after the electoral commission, CEI, released the total results from Sunday's presidential election judged free and fair by some 10,000 international observers. Incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo scored 38.03% votes slimly ahead of former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara who raked 32.08%. - Ex-President Henri Konan Bédié finished in third position with 25.24% of the votes. The three principal candidates largely outran the other 11, leaving the fourth candidate Dr. Mabri Touakeuse at 2.10%. The only female candidate Jacklyn Oble, a law professor, scored 0.26 % finishing 7th. With no candidate clinching the maximum 51% for a straight …

Algeria will resume a policy of arming people to reinforce the fight against terrorism in the North African country, Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia. He said the Algerian government would honour a request of some civilians in insecure areas for weapons to fight against terrorism. - He didn't specify which people would be armed, noting that the defence ministry was behind the decision, AP reported on Wednesday Al-Qaida's offshoot in North Africa has its roots and has carried out killings in Algeria. The government had a policy of arming civilians during the Islamist insurgency that left up to 200,000 people dead in Algeria in the 1990s. It was later halted under amnesty…

Ivorians received some relief last night as partial results from Sunday's poll were announced on state TV RTI by the electoral commission (CEI) spokesman Bamba Yacouba on Tuesday night. With vote tallies from more than 2.2 million of the country's 5.7 million registered voters, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was at 37%, and closely followed by main rival and former PM Alassane Ouattara scored 35%. - Ex-president Henri Konan Bédié was placed third with 27%. The results given so far suggest none of the three big candidates would likely clinch the 51% required for an outright win, which will call for a runoff between the top two finishers on Nov. 28 according to the electoral c…

Libyan state-owned firm LAP Green Network has acquired a majority stake in Chad's Sotel telecoms firm for $90 million after a deal was signed by officials from both countries. The deal, which gives the Libyan firm 60 percent stake in Sotel Tchad, was signed during a visit to Chad by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. - “The value of the contract which was signed today during the Libyan leader’s visit is $90 million,” LAP Green Network Managing Director Abdulbaset Elazzabi told Reuters. Elazzabi said his firm would develop Chad's mobile and fixed line networks and planned to connect Chad to fibre optic cables, which would make high-speed Internet and mobile phone da…

Tension was high on Monday in Ivory Coast as about 20 million Ivorians awaited provisional results from Sunday's presidential election judged by observers as peaceful, free and fair. The elections commission (CEI) constitutionally has a maximum of three days to announce the complete results. - But its officials had promised to diffuse partial results as they trickled down from some 22,000 voting centres across the West African nation and in the Diaspora. However, only results from Europe, North America and some African countries were released by the CEI on state TV RTI on Monday, with former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara leading with 50.55%, followed by incumbent President Laurent…

Ivory Coast presidential election took place on Sunday in a very peaceful atmosphere, according to national and international observers who were deployed to the 22,000 voting centres across the West African country. - As early as 5:00 am, long and snaky queues of voters were already formed in front of voting centres in Abidjan (economic capital) and in the hinterland, awaiting the official opening hour of 7 am. The punctuality and patience underscored the willingness of the 5.7 million registered voters to participate in a historic electoral process hoped to put an end to almost a decade of military-political crisis, which has hampered development and prosperity in the onetime economic p…

Campaigns for Ivory Coast presidential election scheduled for Sunday Oct.31 closed on Friday Oct.29 after two weeks of gruelling parades and rallies by the 14 candidates across the 322,460km² surface area of the West African nation. - For the first time in its history, Ivory Coast is holding a presidential election dubbed by the local and international media as “historic”, because it allowed all desiring aspirants to run, and it is hoped to definitely put an end to a military-political crisis that has split the nation into a rebel-held north and a government controlled south since September 2002; and also grounded the onetime economic power of the sub-region. About 5.7 million…

With just a day to Ivory Coast's historic presidential election of Oct.31, AfricaNews' special election correspondent, , Kingsley Kobo, profiles the three principal candidates from a list of 14 aspirants, from which 5.7 million voters will choose who to govern the war-torn West African country of 20 million inhabitants for the next five years. - Laurent Gbagbo Aged 65, incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo was trained as a history professor, becoming the director of the Institute of History, Art, and African Archeology at the University of Abidjan in 1980 after obtaining a doctorate at the Paris Diderot University, France. A 1982 national teachers’ strike in which he activ…

Egyptian authorities have arrested 70 members of the outlawed opposition Muslim Brotherhood while pasting election posters ahead of November polls. The political activists were rounded up in and around the coastal city of Alexandria because their posters allegedly bore religious slogans in violation of electoral laws. - “Police arrested around 70 Brotherhood members at dawn as they were hanging posters for a woman candidate in various parts of the Alexandria governorate," Islamist MP Hussein Ibrahim told AFP. Ibrahim said the messages on the posters were not provocative, but simply the Koranic phrase “Allahu akbar” (God is greater). “The streets of Alexandr…

Pre-election fever has intensified in the Ivory Coast as the campaigns for the presidential elections scheduled for Oct. 31 draw to a close this week. Millions of Ivorians are glued to their TV watching televised rallies and candidates' speeches. - Animated gossips are shared at street corners by sympathisers of the 14 presidential aspirants. But who do Ivorians feel is best for the post. AfricaNews.com went round Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan and its suburbs to get the views of some potential voters. First, it is still difficult to get a consensus on who clearly tops the polls among the three principal candidates: incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, Former Preside…

Two Algerian soldiers were killed and three wounded after a bomb hit a military truck in the eastern part of Algiers. The soldiers were returning to their barracks when the remote-controlled bomb hit their supply truck in the town of Si Mustapha, 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of Algiers. - A second bomb placed few metres away was discovered and defused in time by security forces, AFP said. Two of the injured soldiers are said to be in stable condition while the third one has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after undergoing surgery for bullet wounds, according a report from the gendarmerie in the Boumerdes region. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, but most …

Five people have been reportedly killed in Ivory Coast on Friday after the convoy of President Laurent Gbagbo - on a campaign tour - involved in a crash outside the economic capital Abidjan, L'Intelligent D'Abidjan said. Three journalists aboard the crashed vehicle sustained serious injuries and were immediately rushed to the hospital. - On its way to Abidjan from a rally in Divo – capital of the Sud-Bandama region – Gbagbo’s 50-something car convoy made a sudden stop near the village of Grobiassoumé – 14km from Divo – after a vehicle, in a bid to avoid a crossing hiker, skidded and crashed into a horde of onlookers, killing five instantly. Accompan…

The Ivory Coast Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) on Thursday decided that manual counting of votes will be the only option in the presidential election scheduled for October 31, irrevocably dropping the idea of an earlier planned computer counting. - In a communiqué read on state TV RTI by the CEI spokesperson Bamba Yacouba, hand counts would take maximum of three days before the declaration of the final results of the vote. The usage of a faster computerized count sparked a row within the CEI when the contract was awarded to SILS – a computer firm some CEI members say is run by a collaborator of President Laurent Gbagbo, who is also running for the polls. Rains and campaig…

The convoy of Ivory Coast's presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Alassane Dramane Ouattara was attacked by assailants on Tuesday while he was travelling the hinterland on a campaign tour ahead of the presidential elections. - According to Ivorian daily L’Intelligent, the candidate’s convoy was ambushed near Elibou (north of Abidjan) by unidentified elements who laid logs and fat bricks to block the passage of the advancing motorcade, forcing it to stop and suffer hurling of stones from nearby bushes. The accompanying guards immediately riposted, firing warning shots in the air to disperse the assailants. A policeman and a journalist were reported to have sust…

Libyan investment company LAP Green Networks is set to build a fibre optic network in Zambia, Tripoli Post said. The networks will roll out a fibre optic cable across Zambia within the next two years, which in part is the company's plan to invest $127 million to upgrade the network of its Zambian unit. - In June, LAP Green acquired a 75% interest in Zamtel for $257 million. Zamtel is the only fixed-line operator in Zambia. Zamtel and Botswana Telecommunications have completed agreements to connect Zambia within four months to a fibre optic cable already linked to an undersea cable. Talks between the company and both Tanzania and Namibia are underway for more links to undersea cables.…

Ivorian bestselling author and independent journalist Venance Konan spoke with Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews special correspondent for Ivory Coast's presidential election holding on October 31. The author of 'Prisonniers de la Haine' (Prisoners of hatred) analyses the preparations and forecasts post-election possible situations in a sincere and bold manner. - AfricaNews: How do you feel seeing your country holding a presidential election at last after multiple postponements? Venance Konan: I keep my fingers crossed that everything goes peacefully and on time. I can confess I feel reassured that when I put my ballot in the ballot box I would not be surprised by a last-minute man…

The United States of America has taken another step forward in bilateral relations with Libya after Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro travelled to the North African nation for consultations with officials from the government. - According to the U.S. Department of State, discussions covered a range of political-military issues, including regional security developments, humanitarian demining, and related areas. “These meetings represent another step forward in our bilateral relations with Libya, and reflect the Administration's commitment to building new partnerships to address shared strategic challenges,” a statement from the U.…

Thirty four individuals were arrested in Morocco on Friday after the police dismantled an international drug trafficking ring bringing cocaine and marijuana from South America to Africa and on to Europe. Government spokesperson Taieb Cherqaoui at a news conference in Rabat confirmed the arrest, which included a Spaniard who led the group out of Morocco. - Cherqaoui said the ring had ties with al-Qaida's North African affiliate, known as AQIM, as well as Latin American drug cartels, AP said. The group had smuggled 600 kilograms of cocaine into Morocco between March and August of this year, according government sources. The drugs were brought from Colombia and Venezuela to Africa, s…

Egypt's telecommunications regulator has imposed new restrictions on mobile text messages ahead of legislative elections. Adviser to Egypt's telecommunications minister, Mahmoud el-Gweini said that companies sending out text messages en masse - known as SMS aggregators - must now obtain licenses. - Opposition activists argue the new regulation will hamper their ability to mobilise voters, Al Jazeera said. Reform groups in Egypt rely mostly on the internet and mobile phones to organise and mobilise their supporters, enabling them to sidestep government harassment. Egypt’s largest opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned from political activities, used tex…

Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi has apologized for the slave trade in which some Arabs had been involved in some time ago in Africa, PANA said. Kadhafi made the apology at the second Afro-Arab summit held over the weekend in the Libyan city of Sirte. - He denounced a past practice in which some rich Arabs purchased African children and conveyed them to North Africa, Arabia and other Arab regions as slaves. Although it happened in the past, Kadhafi said its memories had now become an embarrassment to Arabs. “Today we are embarrassed and shocked by these outrageous practices of rich Arabs who had treated their fellow Africans with contempt and condescension,” he said. “Su…

Nine Africans believed to be from Morocco were found in a shipping container at the port of Montreal, Canada on Thursday morning, the Toronto Sun said. The migrants were discovered by port workers around 1 a.m., hidden inside a false-bottom in the container at a terminal in the city's east end. Border police were immediately alerted. - The nine youths are believed to be from Morocco, but their condition and identities remain to be clearly determined. Immigration Canada spokesperson, Robert Gervais said his office had not yet received a request for a refugee hearing. “Canada Border Services can detain someone for 48 hours,” he said. “We’ll probably know by t…

The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in northern African country of Algeria on Wednesday for a one day state visit. Local authorities say the visiting president will hold talks with top Algerian officials focusing on arms and energy. - Medvedev was welcomed at Algier’s airport by his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia, AFP reported. Russia and Algeria’s ties date back to the Soviet era when Moscow was the main supplier of arms to the North African nation. Both countries are also part of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, an organization grouping major gas-producing countries.

The United Nations has acknowledged Morocco's efforts in the field of housing, particularly in terms of reducing slums. At a UN-organised ceremony in Shanghai, China, Morocco was honoured for the progress it has made over the few years in providing descent housing for its populations. - “Morocco's efforts in the field of housing have contributed to reducing the number of slums and improving the living conditions of citizens,” wrote Inga Bjork-Klevby, the UN Deputy Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, on the sidelines of the 2010 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour awards, organized as part of the celebration of the World Habitat Day, , Agence Maghr…

Security officials from Algeria say Islamist militants suspected to be members of al-Qaeda's North African wing, have bombed a convoy of Algerian troops, killing five and injuring 10. The troops were on an operation to eradicate pockets of militants from the Kabylia region about 100 km east of the capital Algiers, when several explosive devices went off near the town of Zekri in Tizi Ouzou province. - The militants used a remote-controlled bomb that exploded a truck transporting troops, killing five and injuring 10, according to the officials’ precisions, Reuters said. About 200,000 people have been killed in the North African country since violence broke out in the early 1990s…

FIFA World Cup 2010 song Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) written and performed by Colombian-born singer Shakira is stirring copyright controversies. Initially, it aroused some consternation among some Africans, especially those in the music world, why an African artiste was not chosen to do a song destined for a World Cup hosted in Africa. - But now, it’s getting deeper as some African musicians have begun to accuse Shakira of plagiarizing the rhythm and lyrics of Waka Waka, and are demanding compensation for copyright infringement. First, the Cameroonian mid-80s musical group Golden Sounds (now called Zangalewa) publicly accused Shakira of using without permission their 1985 title…

Ivory Coast inspiring 0:0 draw against Portugal on Tuesday dragged disheartened fans back on board to support the team. Hours before the match Ivory Coast - Portugal, the entire city of Abidjan (largest city) seemed calm and less motivated, but the mood quickly changed even before half-time. - Thinking Portugal would easily sweep aside the Elephants, known to cower before big teams, Ivorians saw their team do more than just withstanding but almost carrying the day. Christiano Ronaldo, who was the major fear of a number of fans, was taken care of nicely by the Ivorian defence to the satisfaction of many fans. Half time already, many supporters who had refused to fly the team’s colour…

Kick Off: Tuesday, June 15, 2010. 12:00 GMT Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth... The Elephants of west African nation Ivory Coast battle Portugal in their opening World Cup game today at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. All eyes would be on the coach Sven-Goran Eriksson charges as they remain the only African team expected to win alongside Ghana to sustain the hope. - A Generation's Ambitions Ivory Coast’s current cream of players is the best the West African nation has ever produced in its history, but the team is yet to live up to expectation, failing wayside in different campaigns within the African continent and beyond. And with time running out o…

Former Nigerian striker Samson Siasia currently champions the new generation of African coaches, having successfully led Nigeria's Flying Eagles to the final of the 2005 Under-20 World Cup against Argentina and winning Olympic Silver Medals with the Under-23 team in 2008. - He was part of the Nigerian squad that made Africa proud at the USA ‘94 World Cup, after clinching a continental title earlier that year. The 42-year-old, who now shares his time between coaching and running his football institute - SiaOne Soccer Academy - based in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, takes a look at the fitness of African teams before South Africa 2010. AfricaNews: You have tasted both sides o…

George Finidi, 38, was part of the Ajax of Amsterdam squad that won the 1995 European Champions League. He played at the USA 1994 and France 1998 World Cups with the Super Eagles of Nigeria. He later played for Real Betis, RDA Mallorca and Ipswich Town. - He remains one of the best wingers Africa has ever produced. Here, he speaks about South Africa 2010 and the making of African teams for the World Cup with Goal.com’s reporter who also writes for AfricaNews. AfricaNews: What have you been doing after retiring from football in August 2004? George Finidi: Just relaxing, mostly. I'm sometimes asked for advice, and I try to answer honestly. AfricaNews: South Africa 2010 is t…

Guinea's government on Monday announced a 50% increase in the salaries of public servants across the country. The move, according to a statement broadcast on state TV, is aimed at softening the impact of a 30 percent increase in fuel prices, and to relieve the suffering of public servants. - A government employee in Guinea earns an average salary of $67. The statement mentioned modalities of the salary increase which will be applied systematically in the months of March and July. During the month of March transport and rent allowances will be increased by 30 percent while pensions will also be revised upwards by 30 percent. Guinea, a top bauxite and aluminium producer, is rec…

Failure is in the process of making success. Those who avoid failure also avoid success - Robert Kiyosaki. The one thing nobody wants to hear is failure. The one thing everybody wants to hold is success. Life ushers us this cheerful desire to keep fuelling our efforts of attaining an enviable summit. - But how many of you really know that success and failure are sisters clothed in identical garment, only with differing colours and fragrance? These two forces abide in same household and mostly step out onto the street with same rhythm of stride. They ride in tandem, calling out to clients at the same time, but with unbalanced volume of sound. Success screams louder and lures more people…

A mosque minaret has collapsed in Morocco, killing at least 16 people and injuring close to 40 worshippers. State news agency MAP confirmed the incident which took place in the town of Meknes, 140 km (80 miles) southwest of Rabat, but put provisional toll at 11 deaths and 50 injured. - According to a local witness quoted by Reuters, some 300 worshippers gathered inside the Lalla Khenata mosque for the Friday afternoon mass prayers. The minaret went down during the imam’s sermon. About 80 people were reportedly trapped under the rubble. Soldiers and rescuers were working all evening to reach them. The mosque is a four-century old building.

"It is good, to check up once in a while and make sure you haven't lost the things money can't buy" - LORIMER. Have you ever asked yourself to know really the things money can't buy? I have, but couldn't readily find any - maybe I didn't ponder deeply enough or I was being overwhelmed by the power of money - I'm sorry! - I’ve heard that true love, peace of mind, sound sleep, sincerity, loyalty, etc, are some of the virtues that do not bow to the command of cash. But the problem is that these virtues compete fiercely with their counterfeits, confusing ordinary mortals in allocating their true identity – whether virtues, vices or in between. …

Libya has suspended the issuing of visas to Europeans with an exemption to British nationals. No official explanation has been given and no confirmation has come from Libyan authorities either. But Italy's foreign ministry confirmed this development in a statement issued on their website. - “Libyan authorities have confirmed the suspension of all types of visas for citizens of Schengen states. In addition, they have specified that citizens from Schengen states will be denied entry into Libya even if they are in possession of a visa, of whatever duration or type,” the statement read. The statement further explained that Libya was retaliating Switzerland’s recent deci…

About 4,000 Libyan youths have obtained fulltime jobs in local and foreign companies, the country's Employment and Labour Ministry disclosed on Thursday. A monitoring committee installed by the National Youth Employment Programme had listed 23,152 job opportunities for citizen job seekers. - In a bid to fight unemployment in the North African country, the authorities in January enacted a law binding foreign companies to employ a percentage of Libyan job seekers, according to Libyan news agency Jana. But most of these companies had breached the regulation until now, according to the Employment and Labour Ministry. Consequently, the Libyan government embarked on a thorough control a…

What's really wrong with having more than one wife, more than one mistress or more than one girlfriend? What's really wrong with alternating between different tastes and keeping the body and soul in absolute ecstasy? What's really unpalatable when a man does this, without detriment to a neighbour or the society? - Yet, the civilized world and purist circles say it’s bad, irresponsible, promiscuous and money-wasting – but whose money, theirs or the doer’s? They say it’s an unwholesome lifestyle capable of manufacturing and distributing venereal diseases or, breeding unwanted kids who will eventually cloud our society and jeopardize our finances and im…

If you have ever been to any international airport in Africa, you might have observed two kinds of African travellers: one holding his country's passport, and the other a foreign passport - an American, British or European Union.Both are Africans by origin, but do not possess the same power and status. - The first is African because he was born in Africa, of African parents and has been rooted in Africa. The second was probably born abroad or shares a parent who owns a foreign nationality, or acquired a foreign nationality by his long stay abroad. The first needs to book an appointment at the embassy; needs to answer a lot of questions from the consul; and needs to furnish tons of do…

The British government says it will return the sum of 43 million pounds siphoned by corrupt Nigerian government officials into foreign accounts. The West African liaison officer of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Michael Dockree revealed this in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, over the weekend. - He said the British government was committed to repatriating all funds stashed away illegally by Nigerian officials in foreign accounts. Dockree stressed the British government's commitment to assist Nigerian security agencies and anti-corruption commissions to combat organised crimes, according to Nigerian daily, Punch. The high-level methods used by some corrupt Nigerian politicians…

Tunisia has become the most electrified country in Africa according to a recent report on "Powering Africa" published by African Business. Tunisia which is credited with an electrification rate of 99% comes ahead of Algeria, 98%, Egypt 98%, Libya 97%, Mauritius 94%, Morocco 85% and South Africa 70%. - The report which was released in January 2010 issue of the magazine, ranks Tunisia as the country with the highest electrification rate on the continent, including North Africa and Sub Saharan Africa. The report said Africa’s relatively slow development is mostly due to its severe lack of sufficient power: “The correlation power sufficiency and economic development is u…

When we were gullible teenagers our elders counselled us against sex and promiscuity. When we became young adults, the society showed us how sweet sex was and its bitter side, but that we could guard ourselves from trouble by slipping on a certain armour each time we were tempted by the irresistible. - That armour was simply condom! Use it and stay alive; ignore it and face calamities – such as HIV/Aids, gonorrhoea, syphilis, unwanted pregnancies, etc. There was no more fear talking to a girl and taking her to bed, for the seeds of trouble got safely drained into a tight little plastic destined for the water closet, only few minutes after the sweating. Young girls and boys now ha…

A Nigerian naval helicopter crashed on Tuesday evening killing all four people on board. A naval spokesman Commodore David Nabaida confirmed the crash, adding that it took place in the troubled Niger Delta region of that country, but said he was far from being sure it was perpetrated by terrorists. - According to News Agency of Nigeria, the helicopter went down near Port Harcourt International Airport (south-eastern Nigeria) while searching for a ship that supposedly ran aground in the region. Three officers and a seaman were on board. The commodore says an investigation will be conducted to uncover what caused the crash, the Associated Press said. Militants and oil thieves have atta…

PEOPLE is a new satirical column written by our reporter Kingsley Kobo every Thursday. Perhaps you have asked yourself or eavesdropped on gossips wondering who, between the man and the woman, is more faithful in relationship. Most answers choose the woman while asserting that men are easy womanisers because most societies condone their philandering. - You may likely buy this too like I used to as well until I saw something someday! Back in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, I’ve got a taxi driver friend who sometimes lends me his cab whenever I wish to get around town in search of story ideas. One Saturday evening, as I cruised down the boulevard hunting for passengers, a young light-skinned …

Guinea's political rivals have agreed to form a transitional commission and hold presidential elections within the next six months, bringing hope of stability to the West African bauxite-rich country. Following negotiations held this week in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, a joint declaration has been signed by wounded junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara. - Camara has accepted a temporary exile in the host country, junta’s second-in-command Sekouba Konaté and President Blaise Campaoré, who has been mediating in the Guinean crisis. The declaration proposed the establishment of a transitional commission consisting of 101 members from various walks of life to be led by a rel…

Trade unions in Niger have rejected President Mamadou Tandja's call for economic sacrifices as signs of hardship begin to appear in the West African nation following a number of financial and diplomatic sanctions it faces. Niger's troubles began last year when Tandja refused to leave office after completing two terms last December. - Niger’s constitution allowed only two terms for a president. But Tandja held a referendum in August 2009 to change the constitution and prolong his stay. The vote was boycotted by the opposition and widely criticised by the international community. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union suspended colla…

Guinean wounded leader Moussa Dadis Camara arrived in West Africa's Burkina Faso on Tuesday from Morocco after more than a month of hospitalization following a failed assassination attempt on him last December. He was supported by two people as he walked off the Moroccan airplane at a military airbase. - No reasons have been given why he had travelled to Burkina Faso and authorities were not immediately available to comment, according to Reuters. Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore has led mediation efforts between the junta and the opposition since Camara seized power in a 2008 coup. “We have just found out about this. For the moment we have no other information about the c…

Hopes are gathering for Guineans as interim leader pledges to return the country to viable democracy. Deputy junta chief, Gen. Sekouba Konate on Wednesday said his team would pave the way for a return to civilian rule but fell short to mention a specific time frame. He promised to work with the opposition. - He also announced that hospitalized military leader Moussa Dadis Camara would need time to recover after an assassination bid, silently ruling out an imminent return to power of the head of state. Gen. Konate’s comments on state television herald a possible way out of the deepening crisis in the unstable West African state and world's top exporter of aluminum ore and bauxit…

As Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua's hospitalization in Saudi Arabia enters its second month, the country's opposition is getting more concerned. The Action Congress Party demanded visual proof that the ailing president was fit enough to govern after weeks in hospital overseas. - The party’s spokesman, Lai Mohammed said the Nigerian government should provide evidence of Yar'Adua's physical condition, suggesting a dated video recording of the Nigerian leader in his hospital room in Saudi Arabia, reported Reuters. "It is necessary for President Yar'Adua, if indeed he is recovering as Nigerians have been praying he does, to move fast to reassure his…

An Egyptian blogger has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for publishing opinions aimed at disturbing public order, insulting the head of state and defaming Islam. Abdel Kareem Nabil Suleiman, 24, was arrested in 2006. He will spend a year in jail as he has already spent three years in detention. - He was also expelled from al-Azhar University, Egypt's most prestigious seat of Islamic learning, where he was studying, reported Reuters. The prosecutor, during trial, cited one of Suleiman’s articles calling “Islam a brutal religion”, which the blogger wrote in 2005 after Muslim worshippers attacked a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria. French rights group…

Thirty two people have been killed in clashes between farmers and nomads, with scores of houses burnt over the weekend in the northern Nigerian state of Nassarawa. A state parliamentarian, Mohammed Baba Ibaku, said the weekend's violence was a retaliatory raid made by herdsmen in a farming village known as Udeni Gida. - The herdsmen had been attacked by local rice farmers when their cows entered rice fields to graze two weeks back. They lost animals and incurred wounds; AFP said on Monday. Last week was their turn to react. Reports said the herdsmen invaded the little village in hundreds, armed with local riffles, swords and knives; and attacking people and setting houses ablaze. …

How do we help African women? What can we do to give them a better-deserved education? How is polygamy affecting them and their health? And how do we enable them to find themselves, have self-esteem and look forward to societal progress? One woman has the answer! Mariéme Jamme is a Senegalese-born, London-based Social Entrepreneur and CEO at SpotOne Global Solutions Group. - She is also an “African women affairs” advocate. Groomed across four continents, this 35-year-old olive-skinned workaholic bears a decade-long burden for African women. She yearns to see her Black sisters strong and independent. She craves for their emancipation, to become not eternal receivers of men’s…

Guinea's military junta has vowed to fight and repel peace-keeping troops which ECOWAS intends to deploy to preserve order in that country. Diplomats from the AU, UN, and the EU say Guinea needs regional military and civilian observers to help protect civilians and organize new elections. - ECOWAS president, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, first proposed this peace- keeping force during Guinea’s crisis talks in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso last week. He said it would “ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, restore constitutional legality, defend Guinea's territorial integrity, and play a role in guaranteeing peace and security.” But the junta’s permanent s…

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Niamey, Niger's capital on Sunday calling for the resignation of President Mamadou Tandja amid controversies over his attempts to remain in power. Niger has been in political impasse since the August 4 referendum that now allows Tandja to stay in power until 2012 before fresh elections which he can still run. - The demonstration was organised by the Coordination of Democratic Forces for the Republic (CFDR), a coalition of political parties, human rights and labour organisations. Demonstrators carried different placards with peppery messages. They shouted anti-government slogans such as "Down with the dictator", and wave…

Some 325 Nigerians have been deported from Libya within the last two days for breaching immigration rules, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) said on Thursday. The first batch of 164 deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday aboard a chartered Air Memphis aircraft from Sebha in Libya, according to airport officials. - On Tuesday, another batch of 161 Nigerians composed of young males and females was flown into the country. A senior police officer at the Lagos airport told AFP that the youths were deported as a result of immigration offences ranging from expired visas, illegal documentation to fake visas. But observers say the Libyan government…

Two passenger ferries collided on the Nile River in northern Egypt, with about 80 people reported to be missing. Security and ambulance sources said there were at least a dozen survivors from the accident that occurred near the northern city of Rachid, and that some three bodies had been recovered from the river. - According to a press release from Saudi Arabia’s media, Al Arabiya, one of the ferries broke in half and sank after the collision, while the other overturned. The governor of the northern Beheira province said there were no confirmed fatalities but a security source, according to Reuters, confirmed the three casualties, saying at least a dozen injured people had been tak…

Burkina Faso assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of December. The country's permanent representative to the UN, Michel Kafando takes over the rotating Council presidency from the Austrian UN ambassador, Thomas Mayr-Harting, who held the rotating presidency in November. - In November, the Security Council, among others, discussed the protection of civilians in armed conflict and unanimously adopted a resolution to reiterate the 15-nation Council's condemnation of all acts of piracy and armed robbery in the waters off the Somali coast. The presidency of the Security Council rotates among the 15 members in alphabetical order. At present, th…

Equatorial Guinea held presidential election on Sunday which the incumbent President Teodoro Obiang Nguema is highly tipped to win in a landslide. The 67-year-old, who has ruled the small oil-rich country for 30 years, announced he will win more than the 97.1 percent he garnered in the 2002 election. - “I am the people’s candidate and I don’t see anyone who can go against the will of the people,” Obiang said at a rally in Malabo (capital) last week in an AFP report. He is running against four other candidates. The polling stations opened on Sunday at 8:00 am (0700 GMT) and close at 6:00 pm (1700 GMT). Votes cast will be centralized in the districts on Monday …

The UN has appealed for $6 million in donations to equip Madagascar against the imminent cyclone season that annually devastates the island. The UN agencies working in the country are seeking donations in order to stockpile emergency supplies, including tarpaulins, medicines and water purification tablets, for eventual cyclone victims. - “We urge the international community not to ignore the plight of the Malagasy people,” Christopher Peter Metcalf, UN Resident Coordinator said, according to, IRIN news agency. Each year, between January and March, Madagascar experiences waves of cyclones that cause widespread flooding and destruction. Over the last two years, the Indian Oce…

A Swiss court has convicted one of the sons of Nigerian late military dictator, General Sani Abacha, for being a member of a criminal organisation, and has ordered the seizure of his assets worth $350 million. Abba Abacha, 41, was given a suspended custodial sentence by the investigating judge of the Canton of Geneva, Yves Aeschlimann. - In a court statement, the judge mentioned that Abba Abacha’s $350 million assets were being held by his criminal organisation and seized through international assistance in Luxembourg and the Bahamas, News Agency of Nigeria reported. The Swiss authorities said they pursued Abba Abacha for six years before extraditing him from Germany in 2005. Th…

Thousands of protesters on Sunday took to the streets of Niamey, Niger's capital, calling for the resignation of President Mamadou Tandja. Comprising youths and adults, the demonstrators carried placards with messages such as: "Tandja must go", "Down with the Destroyer of democracy." - Calls were also made for former prime minister and opposition figure, Hama Amandou to take the president’s place, AFP reported. Addressing the rally at mid-afternoon, the leader of the opposition coalition (CFDR) Mohammad Bazoum said: “It is up to us to end this autocratic rule. If we don’t move nobody will move in our place. We have to fight and fight.” T…

Guinea's opposition has rejected proposals made by the mediator, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, on the basis that the will of the masses was not taken into account. The potential peace deal says junta leader Captain Camara should stay in power to lead a national transitional council with a prime minister from an opposition party. - "The national transition council will be charged with organizing presidential elections within 10 months starting from December," the mediation document states. In a statement issued to the press in Conakry on Friday, the Forum of Active Forces, comprising opposition parties, trade unions and civil society, said the fundamental preocc…

The Libyan man, Abdul Al-Megrahi, behind the 1988 bombing of a United States plane over Lockerbie, Scotland, who was released because he had less than three months to die, is still very much alive at the end of his third month of freedom but friends and families of victims want him back to jail. - Al-Megrahi, 57, was set free on a compassionate ground from a Scottish prison on August 20 because he was said to have a terminal prostate cancer and was going to die in less than three months, according to a medical report released by Scottish authorities. But, this November 20 marks his three months of freedom with no sign of him passing away. Some US family members of the 270 victims of t…

Ivory Coast's Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has pledged to donate £3 million of his own money to build a state-of-the-art new hospital in the Ivory Coast. The donation comes from the lucrative fee he is set to receive for becoming the new face of US soft drinks giant Pepsi. - Drogba told the Daily Mirror: "Is a heart-warming gesture to those less fortunate than me." The Abidjan-born 31-year-old striker is unsurprisingly an iconic figure in the Ivory Coast. In January 2007, Drogba was appointed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a Goodwill Ambassador, who lauded the former Marseille ace's glowing charity work. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will…

An award in the form of $1 million has been given to Aicha Ech Channa - a Moroccan who founded the Association Solidarité Feminine, an organization that provides services to unmarried women with children. The University of St. Thomas and the Opus Prize Foundation (USA) presented the award on Wednesday. - Ech Channa, 68, founded the organization in Casablanca in 1985 after observing the struggles of single mothers, Moroccan news agency MAP said. Ech Channa, a Muslim, was quoted by MAP as saying she wants her association to "be a model that provides an example for the respect of human rights, economic development and confidence in humanism." She now operates three day care cen…

A top government official in Chad has been arrested. The Secretary General of the Presidency and Acting Secretary General of MPs of the ruling party, Haroun Kabadi, has been incarcerated for allegedly taking kickbacks and awarding contracts to a businessman at the Ministry of Education. - He was picked up by the police at his private residence on Sunday morning and taken into custody, according to Radio France International (RFI). A panel of experts investigating fraudulent activities at the country’s ministry of education said a businessman had confessed giving worthy kickbacks to Kabadi in order to obtain a contract for the distribution of books and manuals worth 1.5 billions fran…

The UN Security Council has voted to extend an arms embargo on the West Africa nation, Ivory Coast, and a ban on the export of rough diamonds for another year as well as travel and financial sanctions on individuals violating human rights and blocking peace. The country is preparing to go to elections. - The resolution, which was unanimously adopted on Thursday by the council, emphasized the contribution of the sanctions towards the nation’s stability, especially as Ivorians prepare for presidential elections. Ivory Coast's U.N. Ambassador Ilahiri Djedje said he was disappointment that the council decided not to lift sanctions against individuals following willingness of all pa…

After seven years of armed conflicts and instability, the Ivory Coast ought to be edging towards true peace with the approach of presidential elections slated for 29 November, but there are still signs of war. UN experts say former foes of the country's 2002 civil war are rearming despite an arms embargo. - A UN report accuses both the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south of stocking up on weapons, a month before elections. The report also said neighbouring Burkina Faso is systematically transferring weapons and ammunition to the rebels. "Despite the arms embargo northern and southern Ivorian parties are rearming or re-equipping with related material," …

One of Africa's fastest growing banks, United Bank for Africa is to launch full banking operations in seven more African countries before the end of this year. These new territorial acquisitions will bring the bank's operations in the continent to 20 countries, stated the UBA Group in Lagos, Nigeria. - The seven countries UBA will be hitting before Christmas are Zambia, Gabon, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Congo Brazzaville and Congo Democratic Republic, according to Nigerian newspaper, This Day. The Group said in the statement: “UBA will effectively extend its brand presence and financial services to people and businesses across Africa.” UBA is currently operating in Nig…

The governing party in Niger, MNSD, has won a majority of seats in the parliamentary elections boycotted by the opposition and criticized by the international community. According to final results released by the electoral commission on Saturday, Tandja's allies won 76 of the 113 seats in Parliament. - The vote was held last week amid calls from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to have it postponed in order for the government to engage in meaningful dialogue with the opposition. The former parliament was dissolved by Tandja because it opposed to his plans to change the constitution and stay much longer in power. In reaction, Niger’s membership of ECOWAS…

The European Union said it will sever ties with Niger if constitutional order is not restored in the country, following the controversial parliamentary elections held Tuesday. The EU is Niger's main aid donor and has allocated 450 million Euros to that country under the 10th European Fund for Development. - EU commissioner for development aid and humanitarian assistance, Karel de Gucht said “We await political consultations with Niger, if they yield absolutely nothing, we'll make a ruling,” speaking to Radio France International (RFI) on Thursday. The EU had asked Niger to delay Tuesday polls, which was boycotted by the opposition, to give dialogue a chance, but Pres…

Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Magrahi, who is terminally ill with prostate cancer, is still alive and not dead as reported by Sky News, Libyan authorities confirmed on Wednesday. "Megrahi's condition is stable. He's alive," a Libyan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. - Magrahi’s Scottish lawyer also dismissed the death rumours over his client. “It's absolutely untrue,” lawyer Tony Kelly said. “He's definitely not dead.” “I'm not saying anything about his health condition other than the fact he is alive and breathing,” Kelly added. Scottish authorities released Megrahi, a Libyan…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Niger from the group after its president held controversial parliamentary elections on Tuesday despite boycotts from the opposition. The regional bloc said it "will not recognize the outcome of Tuesday's election in Niger." - Voting began early on Tuesday in the uranium-rich West African desert nation to elect 113 members of parliament, which would constitute a new parliament after President Mamadou Tandja dissolved the former house in June for opposing to a referendum that would allow him have limitless terms in office. Opposition parties had called for a total boycott. It is not still clear whether the c…

Amid calls for a boycott from the opposition and visible threat of further sanction by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Niger's government proceeded with its parliamentary elections. Police and soldiers were seen voting on Monday, a day ahead of the rest of the population. - "The defence and security forces are currently voting all over Niger, the better to ensure the safety of voters tomorrow (Tuesday)," electoral commission chairman, Moumouni Hamidou told reporters in Niamey (capital), AFP said. Opposition parties have called for a boycott of the polls, which are to replace a parliament President Tandja Mamadou dissolved in June, two months before h…

In Senegal, schools have reopened for the 2009/2010 academic year, but thousands of pupils and students will keep staying at home because of the havocs of last September's floods. Waterlogged classrooms are depriving thousands of pupils a life-time opportunity in the West African nation. - The floods were caused by the heavy rains from April to September that also affected Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, AFP reported. In spite of the millions of dollars in foreign aid to combat floods in Senegal, the problem still persists. Education ministry sources say most of the affected primary schools are in the Dakar suburbs, where an estimated 260,000 Senegalese were dis…

The World Bank announced today it was resuming assistance to Mauritania that was suspended last year following a military coup. The first Briton Woode institution to renew ties with Mauritania was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after peaceful presidential elections last July. - The World Bank is freeing up 14 of the $16 million frozen last year after Gen. Aziz toppled the nation's first freely-elected leader. World Bank’s representative in the country, Madani Tall, said the funds will help improve infrastructure. The country’s peaceful presidential elections, which brought former general and coup plotter, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to head a new civilian government, h…

The ECOWAS has saluted the Nigerian government for granting amnesty to thousands of Niger Delta rebels who have dropped their arms. In a statement, ECOWAS Commission said it "notes with satisfaction the success recorded so far in the amnesty programme of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. - “Congratulates the government for its magnanimity in granting amnesty to the militants and commends the militants for their courage in laying down their arms,” AFP reported. The commission urged all militants to reject the path of violence and engage in dialogue and reconciliation to address their grievances. It also called on the government to implement its programm…

Six Senegalese soldiers have been killed in an attack suspected to be perpetrated by rebels of the MFDC, a former secessionist group. The attack, which is one of the most deadly in recent years, took place in the southern Casamance region about 70 miles east of the regional capital, Ziguinchor. - According to Senegal’s military sources, an army patrol returning to its base was attacked by armed elements supposedly belonging to the Casamance Movement of Democratic Forces (MFDC), resulting in the killing of six soldiers. Four were gravely wounded and two were reported missing, AFP said. It is another sign of resurgent violence in the Casamance region, geographically separated from the…

As death toll of the fierce repression on demonstrators in Guinea rises to 157, the military government said it is launching an immediate investigation into who ordered security forces to open fire on the protesters. Protesters gathered at the stadium to say no to the participation of the military leader in the upcoming election. - In an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI), Guinean head of state, Moussa Dadis Camara, said he still could not explain what really happened at the stadium meeting, where about 50,000 opposition sympathisers gathered on Monday to say no to his eventual candidacy in the forthcoming presidential elections. Camara acknowledged that his boys (the soldie…

More than 87 people have been killed in the Guinean capital, Conakry when security forces opened fire on protesters gathered at the September 28 Stadium. Government officials said the rally had been banned that opposition activists defied the ban and decided to proceed with the demonstration. - The demonstrators, including young people, women and notable opposition leaders, were holding a rally to air their grievances against the rumoured candidature of the country’s military leader, Captain Dadis Camara, in the forthcoming presidential elections. Some protesters carried signs that read “No to Dadis”, “To hell with a military regime.” Others set furniture on …

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, has said it would resume full cooperation with Mauritania in the Mediterranean Dialogue security forum, following political progress in that country. Mauritania was suspended last year after a military coup led by now President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. - Aziz won the presidential elections held in July and was sworn in a month later. Although opponents have complained of massive fraud, France and other world powers have saluted the progress in Mauritania's democracy. Last week the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it was ready for a new collaboration with the West African nation. The European Union has also signalled its willingne…

Niger's Prime Minister Seini Oumarou and two ministers have resigned ahead of legislative elections due in October, state media said on Thursday. Oumarou, who is the strong candidate of his MNSD party in the western Tillaberi region, said that he was resigning because he needed time to organise his campaign. - He added that as a candidate for an election he ought to step down in accordance with the law. According to state television, Interior Minister Albade Abouba will replace the premier until a new head of government is named but no date for this was given. As far two ministers who are also running in the election, communication minister and government spokesman, Mohamed Ben Om…

Madagascar's disputed head of state would be addressing the United Nations General Assembly next week. Andry Rajoelina, 35, would also attend the summit on climate change in the US, according to a statement released on Saturday by his interim authority in Antananarivo, the Island's capital. - The statement said Rajoelina was going "following the invitation of the United Nations Secretary General to heads of state and government on the occasion of the summit on climate change." He would speak at the UN on Thursday, the statement added, ignoring the fact that Rajoelina is not internationally recognized as Madagascar's head of state, AFP said He will be accompanie…

Morocco has dispatched tons of aid to Burkina Faso and Niger following the catastrophic floods that hit the two Western African countries a fortnight ago. Loads of humanitarian assistance aboard seven aircrafts left Morocco's Atlantic town of Kénitra for Niamey and Ouagadougou on Monday. - The assistance is composed of several tons of medicines, hundreds of tents and thousands of blankets, Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) said on Tuesday. The special airlift was set up by the North African country in accordance with the instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. His Majesty the King had decided to send emergency humanitarian aids as part of the active solidarity and brotherly ties b…

More than nine people have been killed in Algeria by flash floods that hit the northern African region last week, the country's civil defence agency said on Saturday. Heavy rains, lightning, thunderstorms and consequential flooding caused havoc that is reminiscent of Burkina Faso's still-fresh flooding disaster. - Four people including three children drowned at El Bayadh, 450 miles southwest of Algiers (capital) late Friday, according to the agency reports. A woman, her daughter and two family members also died in the district of Naama, 373 miles southwest of the capital when their vehicle was caught by a flash flood in a river bed. Another person, a male, had been struck by …

The World Food Program (WFP) has begun emergency operations in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania, distributing food rations to the victims of flooding in those countries. About 50,000 victims have benefited from the exercise since its inception on Friday, according to the U.N. relief agency. - The WFP said it would be providing food for some 125,000 people in Burkina Faso, where the floods wreaked the gravest havoc following the recent deluge that hit the West African sub-region, , AFP said. More than 110,000 people were displaced in the capital, Ouagadougou and seven deaths were reported. The country’s main hospital has been shut down due to flooding, thereby interrupting dial…

Thirty former lawmakers have been arrested in Niger for an alleged embezzlement of public funds. The sacked parliamentarians are facing more troubles from President Mamadou Tandja's administration, which declared a crack-down on ex-lawmakers since last week Thursday, media reports said. - But the Coordination of Forces for Democracy and the Republic (CFDR), a coalition of opposition parties, non-governmental organizations and labour unions, denounced the arrests calling them political and witch-hunting, according to AFP. “The 30 personalities arrested are essentially from opposition parties and they have been in police custody in Niamey (capital) since Thursday,” the CFDR sa…

Some Niger's former members of parliament who attempted to reinstate the Parliament which President Mamadou Tandja squashed in May were brutalised on Sunday by the police. Tear-gas, whips and batons were employed by police in Niamey (capital) to hinder these ex-MPs from opening the Parliament house. - The Parliamnet is in the central Poudriere district and that country’s police hindered the MPs from holding this symbolic section. About 65 former MPs were severely tortured, resulting in bloody wounds and deep cuts, according to eyewitnesses quoted by AFP. About 1000 sympathisers of the embattled MPs who were marching down for rescue were beaten back by the police with tear-ga…

The United States of America's immigration authorities have deported 63 Nigerians for lack of valid residence permits and illegal possession of firearms. The deportees, who were embarked in Miami, USA, arrived in Lagos, Nigeria's most popular city, yesterday aboard a chartered flight. - The returned Nigerians, consisting of 56 men and seven women, were handed over to Nigerian immigration officials. One of the deportees was quoted as being arrested on his way to a supermarket. He acknowledged that his residential documents had expired and that he had lost his job due to the global economic meltdown. Documents provided by the US officials who accompanied the deportees showed th…

Heavy fighting between the regular army of Senegal and alleged separatist troops yesterday perturbed the relative peace the Casamance region in Senegal has been enjoying since a ceasefire deal in 2002. Local residents fled the streets, shutting shops and hiding out in plantations. - According to Senegal’s RTS media, automatic weapon and rocket-propelled grenade fire was heard in Casamance main city, Ziguinchor before nightfall on August 25. The clashes between Senegalese soldiers and fighters suspected to be with the Movement for the Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) – Casamance rebel group, came four days after similar fighting took place some 10km south of Ziguinchor, ac…

Ivory Coast's political rivals have insisted that the much-delayed presidential elections in the country would hold in November as planned, state media said. The electoral body said it was "determined to respect the date of November 29 as the first round of the presidential election." - The President of the country's independent election commission, Robert Mambe Beugre, called on the "support of all the Ivorian parties, civil society, the media" in organizing the elections. General elections have always been put off since 2005, when the current President Laurent Gbagbo's mandate was due to end. Lack of disarmament of former rebels, partition of the count…

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU) has issued notice that it will suspend all ties with Niger if President Mamadou Tandja, who won last week's controversial referendum, does not return the nation to constitutional norms immediately. - In a statement in Brussels, Belgium, EU Development Commissioner, Karel De Gucht said: “I regret that the recent holding of a referendum in Niger was outside the country’s constitutional norms. A rapid return by President Tandja to those constitutional norms would mean we don't have to open negotiations between the European Union and Niger, and put our cooperation in danger.” The warning is comin…

Nigerians in the diaspora inundated their country's news websites with e-mail petitions against the probable execution of some 220 Nigerian youths in Libya, who have been accused of illegal entry. News reports said Nigerian authorities were not aware of the situation and were shocked at the news. - A Nigerian national daily, Vanguard, reported the urgency of the e-mails alerts, which called on the government to intervene in no time to prevent the killing of these Nigerians. 30 youths, according to the e-mails, were allegedly executed in the early hours of Thursday in a prison yard in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, according to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). One of the reports quoted …

Amid local protests and international condemnations, Niger's proposed referendum which would allow President Mamadou Tandja to have more terms in office, holds on Tuesday. Opposition parties have been calling on voters to boycott the polls, which they dubbed as a coup d'etat. - In his closing argument on Monday in state media, Prime Minister Seini Oumarou called on Nigeriens to vote “yes” to changing the constitution, which will improve their lives. A vote for “no” will mean abandoning the country in poverty, according to him. If “yes” wins today’s vote, Tandja, 71, would be able to seek a third term and subsequent terms, with no more re…

West African nation - Nigeria - now has a population of 157 million, the country's Society for Reproductive and Family Health said. The organization called for "a serious enlightenment on family planning to check our country's annual growth rate of five million births with six million pregnancies." - The Director of SRFH, Professor Oladapo Ladipo warned of the challenges such as a high growth rate could pose, like unemployment, pressure on available resources in hospitals and educational institutions, and environmental degradation. Prof. Ladipo revealed these new figures at the complex of the National Assembly in Abuja (capital) during the commissioning of a resource c…

Burkina Faso's strongest opposition party, UNIR/MS (Union for Renaissance and Sankarist Movement) has expressed its objection to any eventual alteration of the country's 18-year-old constitution, as being contemplated by ruling party CDP (Congress for Democracy and Progress). - The CDS concluded its three-day convention on Saturday with a statement calling for a revision of the constitution, especially article 37, which stipulates the number of terms a president can have in office, according to AFP. It allows maximum of two terms. In the CDS declaration, the party’s chairman, Roch Kaboré mentioned that “a commission will soon be put in place to review our constitutio…

An Ivorian court has sentenced the chairman of the country's football federation (FIF) match organizing committee, Albert Kacou Anzouan, to six months imprisonment for his involvement in a deadly stadium stampede during a World Cup qualifier in March 2009. He was found guilty of printing fake tickets. - Anzouan’s action led to a huge and disproportionate turnout of football fans surpassing the 34,600-capacity stadium, according to state media, RTI. He was also fined $1,000 for manslaughter and fraud. Faustin Aka, responsible for ticketing, was also given the same sentence. Two other people from a sub-contracting firm involved in the printing of these fake tickets were given a t…

A Nigerian teenager, Kimberly Anyadike, has become the youngest black female to ever fly from one end of the United States of America (USA) to the other in an aviation exercise called cross-country flight, according to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). - The 15-year-old, whose parents are Nigerians, broke the U.S. record and entered into record books on Saturday when she flew a single-engine Cessna plane from Compton Woodley Airport in Compton, California to Newport News, Virginia, making 13 stops along the way. Anyadike also became the youngest African American female pilot to complete the journey. She learnt to fly both an airplane and helicopter at age 12 at Tomorrow Aeronautical Museum…

Mauritanians go to the polls on Saturday for their long-awaited presidential election. The stakes are high in choosing the "real person" who would deliver the West African desert nation from both a political and an economic impasse it has been stuck in since the military took power in August 2008. - State media reported lively rallies across different headquarters as candidates rounded off their campaigns last night. Nine candidates are vying for the presidency but analysts, far and near, say only four would be strong contenders. These are two ex-military heads of state, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Ely Ould Mohamed Vall; and two opposition leaders, Ahmed Ould Daddah and Messaoud…

Tens of thousands of Nigeriens on Sunday took to the streets of their capital city, Niamey, to protest against President Mamadou Tandja's moves of changing the constitution through a referendum and staying longer in office. The immense crowd was composed of adult men and women, young and old people. - They represented almost all the political formations of the opposition and the civil society. The peaceful march commenced about 10H00 GMT near a roundabout in central Niamey called Trésor. The quietly singing and slow-moving crowd – almost like that of a funeral procession, drifted along, passing the high court building and converging at “Concertation”, a vast square …

Nigerien President, Mamadou Tandja, has declined Supreme Court's ruling, which banned him from organizing a referendum that would likely pave a way for him to get a third term. In a nationwide broadcast, President Tandja said he would henceforth govern the country by ordinances and decrees. - Tandja said his aim is “to protect the nation’s foundation and the interest of the people in all circumstance.” This is being defined by political analysts as a bid to bypass the two other arms of government – the legislature and the judiciary. Since its proposition by the president and his collaborators, the referendum project has been widely received with coldness …

A suicide bombing at a military college in Algeria has killed at least 43 people and injured dozens more on Thursday. The attack took place at a gendarmerie training school in Issers, 35 miles east of Algiers (capital), where dozens of teenagers were queuing to sign up for an entrance exam. - Eye witnesses told AFP reporters that the attacker drove a car packed with explosives towards the crowded main entrance of the school and the charge later detonated. Algeria’s interior ministry said emergency services were working to free survivors from the wreckage, but that death toll was likely to rise. It is the deadliest terrorist strike in two years, which is signaling the resurgent of…

Soccer fans in Ivory Coast, the home country of Chelsea's Didier Drogba expressed shock over the decision by UEFA to ban their striker. Fans questioned on the streets of Abidjan deemed the sanction too severe. Some said Drogba and his club had been robbed twice- after being 'robbed' of victory by the referee. - Didier Drogba, has been banned by European football body, UEFA, for his reaction to Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona. The striker was banned for six games, with two suspended for two years. He verbally attacked the referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, at the end of the game. He and some of his team-mates surrounded the Norwegian as he went do…

Social networking website Facebook has launched a Swahili version, which is aimed at reaching more than 110 million speakers of the language. A group of Swahili scholars launched this new website with the permission of the California-based internet firm. Facebook now exist in some 50 languages. - Interest in Facebook has grown over the past five years in East and Central Africa, where most Swahili-speakers live. Symon Wanda, one of the project initiators, told the BBC Network Africa programme they wanted to launch a Swahili version to safeguard the future of the language. "The youth, the future generation, if you look at the biggest percentage of users on Facebook, they are the yout…

Twenty-four pregnant women, who fled their homes during military bombardment in the Niger Delta region delivered their babies in the swamp forests, said UNICEF Nigeria. The UN body rescued the newborns and their mothers yesterday to a refugee camp at Ogbe-Ijoh near Warri state. - The new mothers were among thousands who ran into the forests when the Nigerian army’s recently set up Joint Task Force (JTF) and commenced ferocious hunt for armed militants in the region some weeks ago. The attacks erupted in Gbaramatu communities in Delta State and have since spread across the deep creeks where MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) is believed to be hiding its fighters …

After five days of intense negotiation in Dakar, Senegal, the International Group of Contact resolving Mauritanian's political impasse has proposed new dates for its presidential elections. They set 18 July and 1st August 2009 for the first and possibly second leg elections respectively. - “It is now up to Mauritanian’s parties to pronounce on these new dates, and this will be their last chance in finding a lasting solution to the country’s political crisis,” said Ramtane Lamamra, African Union’s commissioner in charge of peace and security. According to AFP, this proposition was reached on Monday evening by the ambassadors who make up the Contact Group…

A five months pregnant Nigeria-born Briton, Samantha Orobator, 20, will face execution if found guilty at a hastily arranged trial in Laos next week, according to reports. She was arrested at Wattay Airport in Laos last August for allegedly possessing 600g of heroin while on holiday travels. - She became pregnant in jail and due to deliver in September, but a death sentence next week would change all. Britain’s Foreign Office has said it was working to ensure lawyers have access to the young woman. “We are providing consular assistance to Miss Orobator, in particular to help ensure that she has good legal representation. We are paying close attention to her welfare and are in …

Ivorian Prime Minister Soro Guilllaume has been asked by his military chiefs to resign, after a two-day conclave that ended on Tuesday in Bouaké - the Ivorian rebel stronghold. The rebel chiefs said their leader had done nothing wrong but want to save him from blame in case the polls process fails. - In a communiqué, the rebel chiefs said President Laurent Gbagbo and his party, FPI, would hinder the success of a free and fair presidential election because they were minority and incapable of winning, AFP reported. But sources close to the prime minister’s office say he is visibly not envisaging any resignation. That he is determined to organize transparent elections to save the count…

Nineteen people were crushed dead and more than 132 others seriously wounded during a World Cup qualifier in the Ivory Coast over the weekend. Ivorian supporters were halfway through the celebration of the victory over the Malawian team, on the streets, when the news about the death was announced. - Some minutes before kick-off, the agitation outside the now closed stadium was uncontrollable by security forces. Everybody wanted to get inside by any means necessary. Some were climbing the concrete walls, others were clambering the heavy metal gates. Suddenly, there was a crack and the walls caved in, scattering heavy concretes and lighter debris on these football lovers. There was a general p…

Madagascan minister of defence, Vice-Admiral Mamy Ranaivoniarivo and army chief have been forced to resign by a group of mutinying soldiers in the capital Antananarivo. The rampaging soldiers have taken over the army headquarters and forced their leader to resign but there has been no fighting. - The army chief - General Edmond Rasolofomahandry - had on Tuesday given an ultimatum of 72 hours to the nation’s rival leaders to solve their differences and put an end to the Island’s political crisis, which has left about 100 people dead, AFP reported. After these developments, President Marc Ravalomanana spoke on national television. He admitted making mistakes during the crisis th…

The Nigeria and Italy governments are to ensure that some 25,000 Nigerians living illegally in Italy are returned home. This was part of the agenda of the closed door meeting between the Nigerian Foreign minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe and his Italian counterpart, Dr. Franco Frattini, in Abuja. - Briefing the media after the meeting, Chief Ojo Maduekwe said the Nigerian government will do everything necessary to have the illegal aliens return home even as he told his guest to always accord the concerned Nigerians their human rights. "As part of the Citizen Diplomacy of this government, we still want our people to be respected wherever they may be even as we do not encourage any Nigeria…

Police shot dead over 25 anti-government protesters in front of the presidential palace of Madagascar on Saturday afternoon. Power struggle between the ex-mayor of the capital Antananarivo - Andry Rajoelina - and President Marc Ravalomanana in the island country led to political instability. - On Saturday morning, Rajoelina staged another mass protest during which he announced the formation of his own government, parallel to the incumbent government of President Ravalomanana, the AFP reported. The demonstration that pulled more than 20,000 people commenced quite calmly and orderly but soon degenerated into a bloody chaos when the immense crowd marched closer to the presidential villa in a…

The mayor of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, proclaimed himself as the new president Saturday afternoon before thousands of his roaring sympathizers at 13 Mai square, media said. AfricaNews' reporter said the agitated political drama would climax into a dreadful chaos. - Rajoelina had earlier announced on Radio France International (RFI) Saturday morning that he was deciding to take charge of the country’s affairs by forming a transition government. After declaring himself president, the 34-year-old mayor ordered the closure of all government ministries, and called on officials of Madagascan central bank to cease issuing money in the name of the incumbe…

Philanthropist and ICT magnate, Bill Gates is to visit the West African populous nation of Nigeria for a two-day work tour starting from February 1, 2009. The chairman of Microsoft is going to inaugurate a number of self-sponsored projects aimed at strengthening and eradicating wild polio virus. - According to Sokoto State (north) Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jabbi Kilgori, the leading computer mogul’s visit is expected to kick off in the state. He said the project is timely because the polio virus is currently spreading across northern parts of the country. Sokoto State news media also confirmed the intended visit of the multi-billionaire businessman as part of his contributions to…

There was heightened tension in island Madagascar over the weekend as hundreds poured on the streets for the arrest of the city mayor, Andry Rajoelina. He is reported to have gone ahead to organize a banned demonstration on Saturday in the capital - Antananarivo - drawing about 25, 000 supporters. - The island’s media report that the situation has brought a cold war between President Marc Ravalomanana, his major opposition, Andry Rajoelina and the mayor. President Ravalomanana, who was away in South Africa attending a summit on Zimbabwe, cut short his visit and flew into his country Sunday afternoon to handle the situation. He was welcomed at the airport by thousands of his excited …

A total of 58 Moroccan security officials have been arrested since the dismantling of a subtle drug trafficking network in Nador - northern part of the country - some days ago. According to the justice ministry, the officials are made up 29 royal marines, 17 gendarmerie and 12 from auxiliary forces. - They allegedly abetted a Moroccan drug trafficker simply known as M.L. in his illicit activities. M.L. and his accomplices are presumed to have exported about 30 tons of hashish from the Moroccan side of the Mediterranean coast, to Belgium and the Netherlands via Spain. Zodiac speed boats were likely used in the transportation, according to the ministry. Some 20 civilians were also arrested …

The engineering arm of Ivory Coast's national transport firm, Sotra, has locally manufactured three brand new buses in the country. Sotra, imports most of its vehicles from Europe and Asia over decades, but decided to adventure in local production that culminated in their first boat-bus in 2003. - The public has highly lauded the company’s initiative with some saying it would help the country and private individuals cut cost on expensive foreign vehicles. In 2005, Sotra announced that it was embarking on a “complete bus project” – dubbed building of buses by Ivorians for Ivorians. Our correspondent said the launching of Sotra’s first three buses came as…

West African country of Ivory Coast is hosting the maiden edition of CAF's African Nations Championship (CHAN) strictly reserved for local players - players emanating from African national leagues. African professional stars are barred from this competition that is aimed at exposing the local stars in the international spot light. - The two-week continental competition kicks off on the 22nd of February 2009 and closes on the 8th of March 2009. The launching of the official mascot and the draw ceremony were held on the 23rd December 2008 in Abidjan. The eight nations qualified for the final phase are: Ivory Coast, Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania – grouped under A. The four other na…

The editor-in-chief of Alerte Info - an internet news magazine - has been arrested and detained for allegedly reporting that at least three people were killed during a prison riot in Abidjan recently. The police picked up Ebenezer Viwami, over the weekend for interrogation, his staff revealed. - “Our editor-in-chief was arrested by the police in front of MACA prison, where he was covering the prisoners protest. He was later dragged out and detained like a bandit,” declared Trésor Affri, the marketing director of Alerte Info. He added: “We exhausted every means available to us to get him released but no way. This is an arbitrary arrest and detention because Mr. Viwami wa…