Hundreds dead' in Chad fighting

Chad's army says it has killed several hundred rebels in fierce fighting near the eastern border, which shattered a month-long ceasefire.

The claims have not been independently verified but a rebel leader said 17 of his men were dead, along with 100 government soldiers.

The clashes were near the border with Sudan's Darfur region, in an area where 4,000 EU peacekeepers are to be sent.

The fighting follows months of relative calm and a Libya-brokered ceasefire.

There are now fears that security in the area will deteriorate further, says the BBC's Stephanie Hancock in Chad's capital, Ndjamena.

Heavy gunfire

Thomas Merkolbach of the Red Cross told the BBC that about 60 people had been treated at the hospital in Abeche, where he is working.

The combat, which is reported to have been very heavy, took place near the small towns of Forchana and Hadjer Hadid, 70 km (45 miles) east of Abeche.

Map
Aid workers based in Forchana reported hearing both machine gun and heavy arms fire for much of Monday morning.

The army attacked a rebel column advancing towards Abeche, a military spokesman said in a statement broadcast on radio and television.

"The security and defence forces carried out a total and definitive annihilation of this column," the spokesman said.

"The partial [rebel] toll is around 50 vehicles seized, around 40 vehicles destroyed, several hundred dead and several prisoners of war."

No indication of government casualties was given but a leader of the Union Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) rebel group said only 17 rebels had been killed.

"We have killed more than 100 from among the army ranks," Abakar Tollimi, the UFDD's secretary general, told the AFP news agency.

The head of the UFDD, Mahamat Nouri, told the BBC the Chadian army initiated the fighting.

A French military air base in Abeche has been turned into an emergency hospital to treat wounded Chadian soldiers, Reuters news agency said.

Volatile border

The rebels, who are fighting to overthrow President Idriss Deby, said the government has failed to honour the peace deal and announced at the weekend they would break the ceasefire.

The government said the UFDD and another rebel group, the Rally of Forces for Change (RFC), broke the peace accord by crossing into Chad from Sudan.

Eastern Chad is currently preparing to receive 4,000 EU troops early next year.

They will be charged with protecting the volatile border with Sudan's Darfur region.

African nations in EU trade deal

he five countries that make up the East African Community have agreed a plan that will gradually open their markets to the European Union (EU).

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda are covered by the EU deal.

The new agreement will replace preferential trade obligations, which are due to expire in December and have proved controversial in recent years.

A number of other nations in Western Africa, and some Pacific nations, have yet to accept the new arrangements.

Steady move

The East African Community (EAC) trading bloc has agreed to "gradually open their markets to goods from the EU over a period of 25 years", an EU official said.

Despite giving European firms more access to their markets, some industries will still be protected from competition to prevent local businesses from going bankrupt.

Under the terms of the new deal, about a fifth of EAC trade would still be exempt from the requirement to lower customs duties.

Industrial products and agriculture are among the sectors that are to be given extra protection.

The EU said that negotiations would continue next year in an effort to have a more comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in place by 2009.

Tough choices

The new deals will replace earlier preferential trade obligations that linked the EU and many of its trading partners but which have been heavily criticised by other nations, particularly those in Latin America.

The deals have been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization and the 27 members of the trade bloc have until the end of the year to establish new arrangements with partners.

But it is not thought that all 80 nations in Europe's former African, Caribbean and Pacific colonies will have signed up to the EPAs by 1 January because there is still a lot of opposition to the deals.

Critics argue that the EPAs could damage developing economies by cutting their customs revenue and making it harder for local businesses to compete with larger foreign rivals.

Nigeria asks UK to train police

Nigeria has asked Britain for help to reform and train its police force.

Interior Minister Godwin Abbe said a committee would work out the nature and extent of the British collaboration.

Human rights groups have accused the Nigerian police of killing and torturing suspects instead of arresting them and giving them a fair trial.

Police chief Mike Okiro has admitted that 785 suspected armed robbers - and 70 officers - have died in clashes with police in the last three months alone.

The toll prompted calls by human rights activists for an independent inquiry.

Crime and disorder

The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says armed robbery is a huge problem in Nigeria, fuelled by unemployment, poverty and the proliferation of guns.

In March a UN special rapporteur said that Nigerian police routinely torture suspects, shooting them in the legs, beating them and hanging them from the ceiling to extract confessions.

The interior minister said a formal request for help was made by President Umaru Yar'Adua to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Commonwealth summit in Uganda that ended on Sunday.

"The British government is ready to support us in reorganising the Nigeria Police Force and empower it to be able to carry out its assigned role of ensuring law and order," Mr Abbe told reporters after a meeting of security chiefs with Mr Yar'Adua.

A British teacher has been charged in Sudan with insulting religion, inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that charges have been laid against Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool.

She was arrested in Khartoum after allowing her class of primary school pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said he will summon the Sudanese ambassador "as a matter of urgency".

In a statement, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the charges.

A spokesman said the first step was to "understand the rationale behind the charge", something which would be discussed by Mr Miliband and the ambassador as soon as possible.

'Shameful ordeal'

"We will consider our response in the light of that," he added.

Lawyers say Mrs Gibbons faces six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine if convicted.

Sudanese state media said prosecutors had completed their investigation and decided to charge Mrs Gibbons under Article 125 of the Sudanese criminal code.


A teddy bear on sale in Sudan

What can't be named Muhammad?

The BBC's Amber Henshaw, in Khartoum, said Mrs Gibbons was expected to appear in court on Thursday.

The Muslim Council of Britain reacted angrily to the news, saying it was "appalled" and demanded Mrs Gibbons' immediate release.

"This is a disgraceful decision and defies common sense. There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith," said Secretary-General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, in a strongly-worded statement.

"We call upon the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that Ms Gibbons is freed from this quite shameful ordeal," said Dr Bari.

Possible acquittal

Mrs Gibbons taught at the fee-paying Unity High School in Khartoum and the school's director, Robert Boulos, said earlier: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety.


But I think the lady, she hasn't got any intention to insult the Islamic religion, therefore I am sure, very sure that if she went to the court she might be acquitted
Ghazi Suleiman, Sudanese MP

Earlier, the Sudanese Embassy in London said the situation was a "storm in a teacup" and signalled that the teacher could be released soon, attributing the incident to a cultural misunderstanding.

But Sudan's top clerics have called for the full measure of the law to be used against Mrs Gibbons and labelled her actions part of a Western plot against Islam.

"What has happened was not haphazard or carried out of ignorance, but rather a calculated action and another ring in the circles of plotting against Islam," the Sudanese Assembly of the Ulemas said in a statement.

The semi-official clerics body is considered relatively moderate and is believed to have the ear of the Sudanese government.

A Sudanese human rights lawyer and Member of Parliament countered that Mrs Gibbons may be acquitted or simply fined under the discretion of the magistrate.

"It is not imperative to lash her, it is not imperative to send her to prison," said Ghazi Suleiman. "But I think the lady, she hasn't got any intention to insult the Islamic religion, therefore I am sure, very sure that if she went to the court she might be acquitted."

Mrs Gibbons was arrested on Sunday after several parents made complaints to Sudan's Ministry of Education.

The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the situation could potentially become a very serious diplomatic incident.

Catherine Wolthuizen, chief executive of Fair Trials Abroad, told BBC News 24 that getting fair legal representation for Mrs Gibbons is a priority: "We are shocked and dismayed as I think many people are."

Nigeria to review privatisations

Nigeria's government has agreed to review all privatisation deals approved by the former president.

The administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, who stood down in May, is accused of failing to follow due process in selling off state assets.

Parliament has been inundated with petitions to review the sell-offs.

President Umaru Yar'Adua has already rescinded the controversial sale of two oil refineries made during the last days of Mr Obasanjo's government.

Multi-million dollar sales

The privatisation of state-owned businesses was central to Nigeria's economic reform programme, initiated by Mr Obasanjo.

President Umaru Yar'Adua
Umaru Yar'Adua was hand-picked by Olusegun Obasanjo

But throughout the privatisation process, there were serious concerns as to how the sales - worth hundreds of millions of dollars - were being handled and who the beneficiaries were.

Now in response to a flood of petitions, the new government, in conjunction with the National Assembly, has said it will launch a full review of the privatisation programme since the start of the Obasanjo administration in 1999.

The decision was taken after a meeting between the vice-president and Nigerian legislators.

To be honest, agreeing to launch an official review is one thing, but it is quite another for a review to actually take place - and for any recommendations to be followed up with action.

Still, earlier this year President Yar'Adua did revoke the controversial sale of two oil refineries made to allies of Mr Obasanjo during his last few days in office.

Interestingly, in the previous administration one of the other key figures in the privatisation programme was the former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar.

That was, at least, until he decided to become an opposition leader and self-styled champion of democracy when he ran for president earlier this year in defiance of Mr Obasanjo's wishes.

Mr Abubakar is currently battling in court to have the election result overturned and give himself another chance of taking charge of the country.

Sevilla topple Arsenal to advance

Sevilla FC joined Arsenal FC in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after becoming the first team this season to defeat the English club.

Late penalty
Eduardo fired the Gunners in front early on but that was as good as it got for the visitors who not only lost their unbeaten record but the Group H leadership as well. Seydou Keita and Luis Fabiano overturned the Croatian's opener with first-half goals, and Frédéric Kanouté completed the scoring with a last-minute penalty. Sevilla will now win the section if they match Arsenal's result on Matchday 6, when the UEFA Cup holders travel to SK Slavia Praha and their rivals entertain FC Steaua Bucureşti.

Bendtner strength
Arsenal's breakthrough goal stemmed from a mixture of strength, skill and unusually lax Sevilla defending. Nicklas Bendtner found metres of free space on the right wing and had time to loft the ball across towards Eduardo, who chested the ball down, held off Daniel Alves and then slotted past Andrés Palop. At that stage Arsène Wenger's game plan was working like clockwork. Identifying Sevilla’s main threat as their trademark surging runs down either touchline, Arsenal crowded these channels. So effective was the application of Wenger's template that it took a reciprocal error to turn the match.

Midfield strike
When a long clearance reached Philippe Senderos in the 24th minute he sliced his kick and from Jesús Navas's probing cross Gilberto’s clearance fell sweetly for Keita to run on and crash a left foot shot into the top of the net. It was his debut UEFA Champions League goal, and the first Arsenal had conceded in the section, but reflected his status as Sevilla's most impressive player of the season. The already buzzing atmosphere hit new peaks and the Ramón Sanchéz-Pizjuán crowd roared approval as Sevilla surged forward.

Flowing confidence
A Gilberto mistake put Luis Fabiano clear in on Arsenal’s goal but he dallied and failed. It only delayed his moment. On 34 minutes Navas won a free-kick which Daniel Alves put squarely in Fabiano’s path and the Brazilian headed in his 18th goal of the season. Bendtner stemmed the tide ten minutes before the break with a terrific piece of penalty-box work which foxed Palop and Christian Poulsen but left Cesc Fabregas's shot being cleared for a corner.

Fabregas off
Barely had the second half got under way when it was clear Fabregas was limping. With so much experience already missing from Wenger's side even the arrival of Tomáš Rosický for the Spaniard was scant consolation. Sevilla bombarded the Arsenal area and between the 58th and 64th minutes Luis Fabiano had two volleys and one header at goal. Then when Senderos leaned into Daniel Alves's cross referee Eric Braamhaar pointed to the penalty spot for handball only to then consult his assistant, reconsider and award a drop-ball to restart play.

Entrancing match
With both sides fully committed to the victory, it was Sevilla who clinched it when Kolo Touré brought Kanouté down as full time approached and the striker scored coolly from the spot. The only negative for Sevilla was the bookings for Keita and Adriano which rule them out of the final fixture.

Nigeria: Abuja's Splendid Centre Surrounded By Urban Blight

Abuja

Patience Israel, a 20-year-old hairdresser, lived in a decent home in Karimo, a squatter settlement near Nigeria's political capital, until it was demolished in January 2006.

"That day was like a war," said Israel, who had to move into a room with her mother at Chika, another squatter settlement on the other side of Abuja.

"It was so unexpected. [After the demolition] we had to sleep outside for two days."

Central Abuja looks like a modern capital with wide streets and a skyline with spectacular public buildings. But four years after a massive urban demolition programme began in 2003, little progress has been made in resettling the roughly 800,000 people that the Geneva-based Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) estimate have been displaced.

As a result of this and the eviction of 1.2 million other people in different parts of the country since 2000, COHRE has deemed the Nigerian government "consistently one of the worst violators of housing rights in the world".

Over 24 settlements have been demolished around Abuja, many by force. "The government gave inadequate notice," said Deanna Fowler, coordinator of the Global Forced Evictions Programme for COHRE.

"Sometimes they would come in, mark out houses, and evict within a week. Other times they would wait months so people didn't know what to do," she said.

"In some cases there was violence between police and residents," she added. Homes were destroyed while their owners watched, often before they had a chance to clear out their belongings.

She has called on the government to rehabilitate slum communities rather than continue demolishing them.

Utopian thinking

The city's master plan - written in 1976 when the military government decided to move its political capital from Lagos to Abuja - included a system of highways, infrastructure and new buildings that would wipe out surrounding farming communities, poor towns and squatter settlements.

The plan was to resettle those communities but that has not happened. Some of the families displaced by the demolitions have resettled in nearby slums or overcrowded satellite towns, or returned to the sites where their homes were d emolished and built temporary housing there again.

The Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC) in Lagos estimates that 70 percent of Abuja's population lives in slums or poor areas of towns. "Today, you cannot find where the people from the destroyed communities are in Abuja," said Daniel Mbee of SERAC. "Some went to villages, some to Abuja and some to squatter settlements."

A lack of low-cost housing has pushed most of the city's workers far from the city limits to settlements that are growing rapidly. Civil servants, who make up much of Abuja's workforce, earn as little as 30,000 naira (about US$250) a month, while a room in the city centre costs at least twice that and rent must be paid one or two years in advance.

In satellite towns, a room is more affordable - around 2,500 naira ($20) a month - but water and sanitation is often grossly inadequate in these communities. "There has been decay in infrastructure, and the government has not done really well in keeping up," says Mbee. "A number of communities do not have access to basic services."

Resettlement problems

The house where Israel and her mother are now living is also in a community slated from demolition. Many people there are living in shacks made of wood and corrugated iron.

Some workers have been given plots of land at a discount, but in areas that are inaccessible and few can afford the building materials for construction of their own homes, residents told IRIN.
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The Federal Capital Development Authority building inspector, Clement Deyn, said in one area over an hour's drive from Abuja, on a dirt track on the way to the village of Pegi, 5,000 people were meant to resettle but so far only 100 have taken possession of the land.

This area has no electricity, no proper road and insufficient water, said 35-year-old Matta Godwin, who fled her home in Jabi village after it was demolished in April. It is also too far from the city. "If you want to go to market, you suffer," Godwin said. She estimates that transportation costs about 500 naira ($4) each way, eating up nearly all of a daily income.

Many of the people who had moved there are now packing up and getting out, she said.

New minister, new plan

A new minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Aliyu Modibbo Umar, took office in late July. He has promised a new approach to future demolitions that includes bringing in the private sector to build low-cost housing for Abuja's working class.

"This is the new trend in Africa where the private sector will pay for certain things," Modibbo told IRIN. "Even [in resettlement] we want to use the private sector."

One scheme, a partnership between the government and the real estate investment company FHT Ventures Plc, is offering potential homeowners low-cost mortgages repayable over 30 years.

The head of FHT Ventures Plc, Prince Olu Faboro, says he has already received 5,000 applicants - about 30 percent of whom he thinks were victims of the demolitions.

He told IRIN he expected about 50 percent of Abuja's civil servants would apply for the scheme and that the company should have houses ready for some 20,000 of them by the end of the year.
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The ministry also recently announced that contractors working on resettlement houses now under construction would have their contracts revoked if building was not complete by January 2008.

Housing advocates say the new government is saying the right things but that it remains to be seen whether the situation will improve for hundreds of thousands of people being displaced.

West Africa: On the Child Trafficking Route

n northern Guinea-Bissau, in the dark of night, a dilapidated bus carrying 17 children is parked on a quiet side road. Its driver awaits a signal from a bus up ahead in the convoy illegally crossing the border into Senegal.

For 24 hours, the children do not eat or drink as the bus waits and waits. The signal never comes.

At midnight the first bus is intercepted by police before reaching the border. The next morning, the second one is stopped. The third and final vehicle in the convoy is never found. All three were taking children from Guinea-Bissau to work in the cotton fields of southern Senegal.

The convoy was one of three alleged child trafficking operations - involving more than 140 children from all over the country - stopped by Bissau police in the last month. Seven people - one from Senegal and six from Guinea-Bissau - are in police custody in the north-central city of Bafatà.

Child trafficking is common between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, where - as in the rest of West Africa - borders are poorly guarded. But increasingly, police and local leaders are trying to quell the tide of youth smuggled to the cotton fields in Senegal's southern agricultural area or to the busy streets of the capital, Dakar.

"I do this regularly"

In a detention area in Bafatà - there are no proper prisons here - Aliu Mballo sits on the grass, smiling. He is among those arrested in the latest alleged smuggling operation, but he does not see his actions as criminal.

"I do this regularly," the recruiter, in his 30s, told IRIN. He said the trip to Senegal allows the children - between four and 19 years old - to earn money for work they would normally do for free. "The young ones fetch firewood and water. The older ones work the cotton field. It's the same as they do at home."

But the majority of children brought into Senegal from Guinea-Bissau end up as talibés - children forced to beg on the streets in return for an education by religious leaders or marabouts.

Begging and beatings

Jorge Menendez* was probably around 10 years old when a marabout who knew his father came to his home in Bafatà to take him away. Jorge does not know his age or exactly how long he has spent away from home, but he estimates at least two or three years. (Groups who work with trafficked children gauge the time they spent outside Guinea-Bissau by their ability to speak Wolof, the most widely spoken language in Senegal.)

The marabout promised his father he would teach Jorge the Muslim holy book, the Koran, and the boy thought nothing of it. From Bafatà, he was taken to Gabù, farther east, where he worked on a cotton field for some time before crossing the border into Senegal. Then he was passed over to another marabout in southwestern city of Ziguinchor, where he learned the Koran.

Before long, the first marabout came back to take him to his own daara or Koranic school (often the marabout's home) in Dakar.

"I spent all my time begging," Jorge told IRIN in Dakar, speaking in Wolof. "I had to bring the marabout 350 CFA francs (US$0.79) a day. Otherwise, I was beaten. It's my worst memory."

100,000 child beggars

In 2004, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated there were up to 100,000 child beggars in Senegal (close to one percent of the population), the majority of them talibés. The head of UNICEF in Guinea-Bissau, Jean Dricot, says most of those child beggars come from Guinea-Bissau.

"They don't have schools. They don't have access to healthcare. They sleep 40 or 50 to a room. They spend all day on the street getting money that they have to hand over at night," Dricot said.
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Jorge, the young talibé, is now back in his country, owing to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a Senegalese government-run welcome centre called Ginddi, two of many institutions assisting in the repatriation of children to Guinea-Bissau.

Quelling the tide

Thanks to increased efforts by local and international organisations, some children have been spared this experience. Police say they have been more proactive since workshops by the IOM, UNICEF and local NGOs informed police, regional governments and local leaders that the unauthorised movement of minors across borders is a crime. That message has trickled down to the village level; the latest arrests were the result of a villager's tip-off to police.

Wireless Broadband Conference comes to a close

The East African Wireless Broadband Conference came to a close last week at Nairobi's Hilton Hotel .The three-day conference held under the auspices of Kenya's ministry of Information and Communications under the theme Technologies & strategies to evolve optimised networks- provided a platform to promote effective roll-out of the technology throughout Africa. In addition, the forum acted as a catalyst to stimulate take-up of the right technologies to multiply connectivity across Africa. The wireless technologies discussed at the conference included 3G (Third Generation), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). The conference was officially opened by Kenya's Information and Communications Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo on behalf of minister Mutahi Kagwe.

Key speakers at the conference included Gajinder Vij, Director, Corporate Technical Marketing, Qualcomm, USA, who gave a presentation on 3G Broadband Wireless. His presentation provides an overview of Qualcomm's wireless vision and the key features and benefits of the 3GPP and 3GPP2 evolution paths. Simon Lee, head of planning and Engineering, Safaricom Kenya, gave an overview of 3G implementation in Kenya. Speaking at the conference, Dr Ndemo said Kenya was pleased to host the conference, given that wireless technology was actually meant for Africa. Echoing similar sentiments, Telkom Kenya Managing Director Sammy Kirui noted that the conference was important for Kenya and the region, which has been using copper for a very long time. "Telkom has now decided to go broadband wireless", he emphasized.

Abou Diallo, Sales Engineer - Africa, SR Telecom, Canada gave a presentation on demystifying WiMAX technologies. This presentation demystified the capabilities anticipated for WiMAXcertified equipment and made the technology understandable for carriers, as well as for the BWA industry at large. Finally, this presentation addresses how the right balance of advanced WiMAX technologies will enable carriers to provide broadband wireless coverage on a large-scale.

Noel Kirkaldy, Wireless Broadband Director, Motorola Europe, Middle East and Africa gave a presentation on the role Motorola is playing in the region as regards the evolution of wireless technology.

Powered

Nigeria probes Siemens bribe case

A Nigerian anti-corruption agency has begun investigating former ministers alleged to have taken bribes from the German telecoms firm, Siemens.

Siemens was found guilty of paying bribes and was fined 201m euros ($248m) by a Munich court on 4 October.

Names on the court papers that emerged last week included Bello Mohammed Haliru, the late Haruna Elewi and Tajudeen Olanrewaju.

Dr Mohammed and Gen Olanrewaju have denied taking payments from Siemens.

Resignations

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has summoned more than 10 officials for questioning into the affair, after President Yar' Adua ordered the security agencies to "take appropriate legal action".

The president's special adviser on communications, Olusegun Adeniyi, issued a statement giving an assurance from Mr Yar'Adua that "in this Siemens scandal, as in all cases that border on good governance and transparency, there will neither be sacred cows nor a cover up for anybody found culpable of breaching the law".

Siemens's own investigations uncovered more than 1.3bn euros in suspicious payments, 10m of which were said to have been paid to the Nigerian ministers or officials between 2001 and 2004.

The company's chairman and chief executive both quit over the scandal and at least two employees were given suspended sentences for bribery and breach of trust.

Siemens has accepted the Munich court judgement and has also agreed to pay 179m euros to the tax authorities.

However, it faces even higher fines in the United States if it is found to have systematically bribed its way into winning contracts.

Tanzania surgery mix-up man dies

The Tanzanian man who had a knee operation when he had a tumour in his brain, has died after finally having the operation he required.

Emmanuel Mgaya, 19, died hours after the surgery, performed two weeks late.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Didas, 20, who had brain surgery although his complaint was in the knee, is slowly recovering but he remains partially paralysed.

The government has apologised for the mix-up, which has been blamed on both men having the same first name.

Mr Didas cannot move his right side following the unnecessary operation.

He told the BBC in hospital that he was able to eat his favourite food again - maize meal with fish and vegetables.

Health Minister David Mwakyusa said a commission has been set up to investigate the saga and pledged to send Mr Didas to India for specialised treatment.

He originally hurt his leg in a motorbike accident.

No lawsuit

Mr Mgaya was also due to have treatment in India but died before this was possible.

He spent four days at the Muhimbili hospital's intensive care unit Dar es Salaam but his condition got worse on Thursday.

He was operated on but died several hours later.

His family say they are not planning to sue the government - they always knew he only had a 50% chance of survival, as the tumour had grown so large.

He first sought medical treatment, complaining of migraines.

But they have urged the health ministry to employ qualified and compassionate medical staff.

Pop star Prince is demanding that video sharing website YouTube removes

Pop star Prince is demanding that video sharing website YouTube removes clips of his recent concerts in London.

The singer says he is taking action against the site, and others like it, to "reclaim his art on the internet".

More than 1,000 unauthorised clips have been taken down in the last few days, according to Web Sheriff, the UK firm he has hired to enforce the ban.

The star is also targeting online shops which, he says, infringe his copyright by selling unauthorised merchandise.

"Prince believes strongly that... copyrights should be protected across the board," a spokesman for the star said.


Prince feels very strongly that people should remember his concerts as they were, not as some grainy mobile phone footage
John Giacobbi
Web Sheriff
Prince has spent the summer playing 21 gigs at the O2 arena in London, which end next week.

Fans have been banned from taking photographs or video footage on their mobile phones, but many have still posted clips on YouTube.

John Giacobbi, managing director of Web Sheriff, said: "Some artists are very relaxed about the use of their image and music on the internet, some less so.

"Prince feels very strongly that people should remember his concerts as they were, not as some grainy mobile phone footage."

The artist has also instructed Web Sheriff to police unauthorised distribution of his music on file-sharing websites such as Pirate Bay, and is seeking to stop auction sites like eBay from selling unauthorised merchandise.

Prince video on YouTube
YouTube also carries authorised Prince videos
Mr Giacobbi said: "We are not targeting fans who might want to sell their copy of Purple Rain, we are targeting companies in China manufacturing Prince handbags and selling them in their thousands.

"Prince's actions are a brave and pioneering step to challenge the status quo and hand control over internet rights back to the artists."

Prince has been famously protective of his artistic rights, becoming embroiled in a squabble with record company Warner Brothers over the ownership of his master tapes in the 1990s.

As part of his protest, he changed his name to a symbol and wrote the word "slave" on his cheek during public appearances.

Since fulfilling his contract with the company, he has only released albums online or through special one-off deals with other record labels.

In the UK, his most recent album, Planet Earth, was given away free with the Mail On Sunday newspaper.

Several websites offered copies of the album for download as soon as the paper went on sale - despite the album being sold commercially in the rest of the world.

France unveils anti-piracy plan

French web users caught pirating movies or music could soon be thrown offline.

Those illegally sharing files will face the loss of their net access thanks to a newly-created anti-piracy body granted the wide-ranging powers.

The anti-piracy body comes out of a deal agreed by France's music and movie makers and its net firms.

The group who brokered the deal said the measures were intended to curb casual piracy rather than tackle large scale pirate groups.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the deal was a "decisive moment for the future of a civilised internet".

Net firms will monitor what their customers are doing and pass on information about persistent pirates to the new independent body. Those identified will get a warning and then be threatened with either being cut off or suspended if they do not stop illegal file-sharing.

The agreement between net firms, record companies, film-makers and government was drawn up by a special committee created to look at the problem of the net and cultural protection.

Denis Olivennes, head of the French chain store FNAC, who chaired the committee said current penalties for piracy - large fines and years in jail - were "totally disproportionate" for those young people who do file-share illegally.

In return for agreeing to monitor net use, film-makers agreed to speed up the transfer of movies to DVD and music firms pledged to support DRM-free tracks on music stores.

The deal was hailed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents the global interests of the music business.

"This is the single most important initiative to help win the war on online piracy that we have seen so far," it said in a statement.

French consumer group UFC Que Choisir was more cautious.

It said the agreement was "very tough, potentially destructive of freedom, anti-economic and against digital history".

DR Congo threatens war on rebels

The head of the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo says he has given up all hope of a peaceful solution to the conflict in eastern Congo.

General Dieudonne Kayembe said force was now the only way to deal with dissident General Laurent Nkunda.

Fighting has continued in the North Kivu province for a third day, with government troops using heavy artillery against rebel forces in Rugari.

Gen Nkunda has threatened UN troops, accusing them of backing the army.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (Monuc) says the army has been sending reinforcements to the region ahead of a possible major offensive against Gen Nkunda.

The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman in the capital, Kinshasa, says the army has suffered military setbacks in previous offensives against the rebels.

'Consequences'

Observers say the army seems to be trying to target Gen Nkunda's supply lines near the Rwandan border.

Rugari is 30km (19 miles) from the North Kivu regional capital, Goma, towards the border.

map
Rwanda has always denied claims it backs Gen Nkunda, who is an ethnic Tutsi, like most of the Rwandan leaders.

He argues he is trying to defend his community against armed Hutu groups, some of whom crossed into DR Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

"Now that all attempts to use persuasion, to use peaceful means have been used, I am here in Goma to set up plans for military force," Gen Kayembe said.

"We are doing the military planning with Monuc."

But this has prompted Gen Nkunda to accuse the UN of taking sides.

The UN mission, "hitherto perceived as a guarantor of peace and international law... and a facilitator in the armed conflicts between Congolese, has taken the serious decision to side wholeheartedly with the FARDC [army] in its war against the CNDP [Gen Nkunda's forces]," he said in a statement sent to the AFP news agency.

Monuc "will have to assume fully all the consequences resulting from this choice", he said.

The army has deployed 20,000 men in North Kivu since August.

Gen Nkunda is thought to have between 6,000 and 8,000 men under arms but has failed to honour pledges to disarm his men and re-integrate them into the DR Congo armed forces.

Some 375,000 people have fled fighting in eastern DR Congo this year, on top of 800,000 who were already displaced.

Senegal's praised democracy on trial

enegal's presidential election takes place on Sunday, amid growing concern over the future of the country's democracy.

Former PM Idrissa Seck
Former PM Idrissa Seck is a serious contender

When Abdoulaye Wade was elected president seven years ago, Senegal received applause across the world for what was a landmark event.

Not only did Mr Wade defeat an incumbent fairly at the ballot box after decades spent in opposition, but his bitter foe showed considerable magnanimity in defeat.

On a continent where presidents are rarely beaten, it was a surprise, even among Senegalese citizens, when President Abdou Diouf called his long-time arch-rival to congratulate him and acknowledge his victory.

Seven years on and aged 81, President Wade is seeking a second term and has had to learn new campaign tactics.

Now he is being judged on his achievements as the country's leader and criticism has been widespread.

The government's failure to create jobs and raise living standards dramatically as it had promised, as well as many corruption scandals have featured prominently in opposition campaigns.

First round

For Mr Wade's campaign manager, Prime Minister Macky Sall, "there's no doubt" that his candidate "will be re-elected as early as the first round of polls".

Dakar scene
Dakar is gridlocked by road-building projects at present

But, with a total of 15 presidential candidates many of whom backed Mr Wade in 2000, analysts say there is a fair chance no-one will secure 50% of the vote and a run-off will be necessary.

For Senegalese citizens, the confident noises coming from the Wade camp remind them of what the ruling Socialists said before losing in 2000.

Mr Wade's supporters maintain their candidate needs time to finish the job he has started, pointing out the many big projects taking place in the Senegalese capital.

This week, 2.5 km of a new tarred road was inaugurated in Dakar but the rest of the city still resembles a huge building site, with major work under way on several of the main arteries at the same time.

The endless traffic jams will undoubtedly lose Mr Wade some votes from Dakar's frustrated drivers and commuters.

Democracy

Recent measures like a ban on an opposition march and the arrest of several opposition leaders or journalists who dared criticise the leader, have also led many people to question President Wade's democratic credentials.

Market woman in Senegal
Living standards have risen - but very slowly

"He has turned the country into havoc," says an angry Abdoulaye Bathily, one of President Wade's former allies in 2000 who is now standing against him.

"We have surely gone backward in terms of civic liberties," said opposition leader Madior Diouf assessing Wade's seven-year term.

In 2000, Mr Diouf was in the opposition coalition which took Mr Wade to power. This time around he is in another alliance of opposition leaders supporting Moustapha Niasse - who served as Mr Wade's prime minister and is now one of his main rivals.

But possibly the biggest surprise during the campaign has been the huge crowds attracted by the candidate of the former Socialist Party, Ousmane Tanor Dieng.

Once vilified, they have focused their campaign on government failures and what they call the "amateurism" of those who took over from their party in 2000.

The party has also attracted those unhappy with the government and those who have switched allegiances in recent years.

There are also four independent candidates - criticising "professional politicians" who they say have failed the country and are only out for themselves.

The election therefore is not only a genuine test for President Wade, but also for the democratic system so highly praised seven years ago.

Street vendors riot in Senegal

Police in Senegal's capital, Dakar, have fired teargas at hundreds of protesting street vendors who threw stones and burned tyres.

The clashes came in response to police enforcing a new government policy to remove the vendors.

Demonstrators blocked main streets and attacked cars. At least fifteen people were arrested - making it the most serious riot in Senegal for years.

Thousands of people earn a living peddling goods on Dakar's streets.

The violence broke out shortly after trades unions held their own demonstration against rising food and fuel prices.

Plumes of smoke

Old tyres, plastic rubbish containers and wooden stalls were used to light fires along Dakar's busy central business district.

Plumes of black smoke rose above the city centre as riot police pursued youths down side streets choked with tear gas.

Disturbances reportedly spread to neighbouring residential quarters.

Police began evicting the thousands of street vendors on Thursday, three days after President Abdoulaye Wade sought an end to informal trading in the city.

He said uncontrolled street vending had cost the country some 125m Euros because traffic jams were putting off investors.

Dakar is to host the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit in March, and ahead of the meeting the city has been undergoing a major facelift - new hotels, conference rooms, bridges and roads are all being built.

Country profile: Kenya

FACT

* Full name: The Republic of Kenya
* Population: 34.3 million (UN, 2005)
* Capital: Nairobi
* Area: 582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles)
* Major languages: Swahili, English
* Major religion: Christianity
* Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
* Monetary unit: 1 Kenya shilling = 100 cents
* Main exports: Tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products
* GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2005)
* Internet domain: .ke
* International dialling code: +254


LEADER



President: Mwai Kibaki

Political veteran Mwai Kibaki won a landslide election victory in December 2002, promising to fight endemic corruption and to address Kenya's economic woes.

Kenyan president
Mwai Kibaki came to power on promises to fight corruption

Economic recovery has accompanied Mr Kibaki's leadership. Economic growth in 2006 was 6.1%, compared with 0.6% when he took over.

But despite the tough talk about graft, his government has become mired in a major corruption scandal. Former and current ministers have been implicated in an alleged scam involving shadowy deals and large sums of public money.

The president was thwarted over another key policy when voters rejected a proposed new constitution in 2005. Mr Kibaki had portrayed it as modernising measure; critics said the charter left too much power in his hands.

A respected economist, Mwai Kibaki served as finance minister and vice president in the 1970s and 1980s. He left Kanu in 1991 and founded the Democratic Party.

His election victory marked the end of almost 40 years of Kanu rule, and it was third time lucky for Mr Kibaki, who lost two elections in the 1990s. The constitution barred his predecessor, Daniel arap Moi, from standing. Mr Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) won a parliamentary majority.

Mwai Kibaki was born in 1931 and hails from Kenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu. He studied in Uganda and Britain before joining the push for Kenya's independence in the 1960s. He became an MP in 1963.

# Vice president: Moody Awori
# Foreign minister: Raphael Tuju
# Finance minister: Amos Kimunya


OVERVIEW

fter independence from Britain in 1963, politics was dominated by the charismatic Jomo Kenyatta. He was succeeded in 1978 by Daniel arap Moi, who remained in power for 24 years. The ruling Kenya African National Union, Kanu, was the only legal political party for much of the 1980s.


AT-A-GLANCE
Jacaranda trees in bloom
Politics: Politics has recently been dominated by wrangling over changes to the constitution, prompted by pressure to stamp out corruption and nepotism
Economy: The economy has been recovering over recent years
International: Kenya has mediated in conflicts in Somalia and Sudan

Timeline
Violent unrest - and international pressure - led to the restoration of multi-party politics in the early 1990s. But it was to be another decade before opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki ended nearly 40 years of Kanu rule with his landslide victory in 2002's general election.

Despite President Kibaki's pledge to tackle corruption, some donors estimated that up to $1bn had been lost to graft between 2002 and 2005.

Other pressing challenges include high unemployment, crime and poverty; most Kenyans live below the poverty level of $1 a day. Droughts frequently put millions of people at risk.

One of Africa's more politically-stable countries, Kenya has been a leading light in the Somali and Sudanese peace processes.

With its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife, Kenya is one of Africa's major safari destinations.

The lucrative tourist industry has bounced back following the slump that followed bomb attacks in Nairobi in 1998 and Mombasa in 2002. And in 2006 tourism was the country's best hard currency earner, ahead of horticulture and tea.

FACT FINDING

FACT

* Full name: The Kingdom of Morocco
* Population: 31.6 million (UN, 2005)
* Capital: Rabat
* Largest city: Casablanca
* Area: 710,850 sq km (274,461 sq miles) (including W Sahara)
* Major languages: Arabic (official), Berber, French, Spanish
* Major religion: Islam
* Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)
* Monetary unit: Dirham = 100 centimes
* Main exports: Minerals, seafood products, citrus fruit
* GNI per capita: US $1,730 (World Bank, 2006)
* Internet domain: .ma
* International dialling code: +212


LEADER



King Mohammed VI

Groomed for "kingship", as his late father King Hassan II referred to his upbringing, Mohammed VI became monarch in 1999.

Moroccan king
King Mohammed VI embarked on reforms

He initiated political and economic changes and an investigation into human rights abuses during his father's rule.

The king says the fight against poverty is a priority, earning him the name "guardian of the poor". Economic liberalisation has attracted foreign investment and officials point to better basic services in shanty towns and rural areas. But some non-government groups say little has changed, with poverty still widespread and unemployment remaining high.

A key reform has been the Mudawana, a law which grants more rights to women. The king has said it is in line with Koranic principles, but religious conservatives have opposed it.

Bomb attacks in Casablanca in 2003 prompted the enactment of new anti-terrorism laws and a reinvigorated campaign against extremists. But some rights groups say the measures have eroded human rights.

King Mohammed married computer engineer Salma Bennani in 2002. They have a son, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, born in 2003, and a daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija, born in 2007.

Under the constitution, the king can dissolve parliament and dismiss or appoint the prime minister.

# Prime Minister: Abbas El Fassi

OVERVIEW

Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, when Sultan Mohammed became king. He was succeeded in 1961 by his son, Hassan II, who ruled for 38 years. He played a prominent role in the search for peace in the Middle East, given the large number of Israelis of Moroccan origin, but was criticised for suppressing domestic opposition.

Old town, Marrakesh
Marrakesh, known as the "red city" for its clay walls and ramparts
A truth commission set up to investigate human rights violations during Hassan's reign has confirmed nearly 10,000 cases, ranging from death in detention to forced exile.

After his death in 1999 Hassan was succeeded by his son, who became King Mohammed VI and was seen as a moderniser. There has been some economic and social liberalisation, but the monarch has retained sweeping powers.

Morocco is bidding for membership of the European Union, its main trade partner, but there appears to be little enthusiasm for this within the bloc.

To the south, the status of Western Sahara remains unresolved. Morocco annexed the territory in 1975 and a guerrilla war with Algerian-backed pro-independence forces ended in 1991. UN efforts have failed to break the political deadlock.

To the north, a dispute with Spain in 2002 over the tiny island of Perejil revived the issue of the sovereignty of Melilla and Ceuta. The small enclaves on the Mediterranean coast are surrounded by Morocco and have been administered by Madrid for centuries.

Morocco has been given the status of non-Nato ally by Washington, which has praised its support for the US-led war on terror. After deadly suicide bombings in Casablanca in 2003, Morocco launched a crackdown on suspected Islamic militants.

Africa: Farmers Could Earn 'Green' Money

Windhoek

Lack of information is the main obstacle to paying African farmers as an incentive to protect the environment, according to a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report.

Payment for environmental services (PES) has been applied in parts of the world since the 1980s, and could help to address growing concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss and water supply, suggested 'The State of Food and Agriculture', a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report released on Thursday.

Applying PES in Africa could be critical in mitigating some of the impact of climate change, said Keith Wiebe, chief of FAO's Comparative Agriculture Development Service and one of the main contributors to the report.

Hundreds of payment programmes for environmental services are being implemented around the world, mainly as part of forest conservation initiatives. "But relatively few programmes for environmental services have targeted farmers and agricultural lands in developing countries," the report said. Payments can take a variety of forms as voluntary transactions involving farmers, communities, taxpayers, consumers, corporations and governments; they can also be direct payments by governments to producers or indirect transfers by means of surcharges paid by consumers willing to do so.

"Agriculture employs more people and uses more land and water than any other human activity," said FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf in his foreword to the report. Overall, the future does not look rosy. Projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expect food production to halve by 2020; about 25 per cent of Africa's population do not have easy access to water, a figure that is expected to jump by another 50 million by 2020 and more than double by 2050. Agriculture is a notable source of the three major greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. "Carbon dioxide is most significant in relation to global warming, but methane and nitrous oxide also make substantial contributions," the FAO report noted.
"Agricultural activities and land-use changes contribute about one-third of the total carbon dioxide emissions and are the largest sources of methane (from livestock and flooded rice production) and nitrous oxide (primarily from application of inorganic nitrogenous fertiliser)."

Africa's mostly small-scale or subsistence farmers are not responsible for "carbon emissions on the same scale" as their counterparts in the developed world or Asia, "but through tree planting or improved agricultural practices - such as conservation agriculture - they can offset carbon emitted elsewhere and be compensated through payments for environmental services," said Wiebe.

Less deforestation, planting more trees, reducing tillage, increasing soil cover and improving grassland management could, for example, lead over two billion tonnes of carbon being stored in around 50 countries between 2003 and 2012, the FAO said.

Chissano son dies under suspicion

The eldest son of former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano has died, while being investigated over the 2000 killing of journalist Carlos Cardoso.

Nympine Chissano, 37, was found dead at his home in the capital, Maputo, state radio reported.

The cause of death has not been determined but the radio said he had been ill for some time.

Cardoso died while investigating corruption allegations. Mr Chissano denied any involvement.

The man convicted of the assassination, Anibal dos Santos, known as Anibalzinho, has said Mr Chissano ordered the killing - accusations the authorities were investigating.

Dos Santos is serving a 30-year jail sentence. He twice escaped from custody but was recaptured both times.

Cardoso had been investigating the disappearance of $14m from Mozambique's main state bank when he was murdered.

Joaquim Chissano is on holiday in Europe but made plans to return home early when his son died.

Last month, he won a $5m prize awarded to former leaders in Africa who have helped promote good governance.

Tanzania: Winning the War

THE LAUNCH IN 2003 OF ARtemisinine-based Combination Therapy (ACT) in Zanzibar has dramatically reduced the incidence of malaria, a study has revealed.

Additional distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) in early 2006 resulted in a 10-fold reduction of malaria parasite prevalence, said the study, whose results were published in PLos Medicine, said.

The results indicate that the Millennium Development Goals of reducing mortality in children under five and alleviating the burden of malaria are achievable in tropical Africa with high coverage of combined malaria control interventions.

The study, titled Impact of Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy and Insecticide-Treated Nets on Malaria Burden in Zanzibar, was conducted by among others, Patrick Kachur of Zanzibar Malaria Control Programme, Achuyt Bhattarai of the Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and Rashid Khatib of Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

The study was supported by US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Italian Co-operation and the Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The Roll Back Malaria strategy recommends a combination of interventions for malaria control.

Zanzibar implemented ACT for uncomplicated malaria in late 2003 and long-lasting insecticidal nets from early 2006. ACT is provided free of charge to all malaria patients, while LLINs are distributed free to children under five and pregnant women.

The researchers investigated temporal trends in Plasmodium falciparum prevalence and malaria-related health parameters following the implementation of the control interventions in Zanzibar.

Cross-sectional clinical and parasitological surveys in children under 14 were conducted in North A District in May 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Survey data were analysed in a logistic regression model and adjusted for complex sampling design and potential confounders. Records from all 13 public health facilities in North A District were analysed for malaria-related outpatient visits and admissions.

Mortality and demographic data were obtained from the District Commissioner's Office. Plasmodium falciparum prevalence decreased in children under five between 2003 and 2006.

Between 2002 and 2005 crude under-five, infant (under 1), and children aged 1-4 mortality decreased by 52 per cent, 33 per cent, and 71 per cent, respectively. Similarly, malaria-related admissions, blood transfusions, and malaria-attributed mortality decreased by 77 per cent, 67 per cent and 75 per cent respectively between 2002 and 2005 in children under five.

Climatic conditions favourable for malaria transmission persisted throughout the observational period.

Malaria kills about one million people every year, many of them young children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Plasmodium falciparum is transmitted to people when they are bitten by an infected mosquito.

In the human body, the parasites reproduce in the liver before invading red blood cells. Here, they multiply again before bursting out and infecting more red blood cells as well as causing a high fever and sometimes damaging vital organs.

The transmission circle is completed when a mosquito bites an infected person and ingests parasites with its blood meal.

The World Health Organisation currently recommends the use of ACTs for malaria control.

These contain a natural antimalarial compound from sweet wormwood and a synthetic drug. The use of insecticide-treated nets is also now being strongly promoted.

THE INCREASED MALARIA-related morbidity and mortality, especially in children under five, due to emerging resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to conventional antimalarial drugs, calls for immediate action to roll back malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

This need has been clearly recognised in the Millennium Development Goals "to halt and begin to reverse malaria incidence" as well as in the Abuja Declaration objective to halve malaria mortality in Africa reduced by 2010 through implementation of combined control strategies.
n 2000, the overall treatment failure of chloroquine was found to be 60 per cent in a 14-day efficacy trial. consequently, the Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare decided in November 2001 to change both first- and second-line treatment guidelines for uncomplicated malaria from chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine to artemisinin-based combination therapies.

The ACT policy was implemented in September 2003, when Zanzibar became one of the first regions in sub-Saharan Africa to recommend routine use of ACT. This action was followed by strengthened vector control, culminating in a nation-wide distribution campaign of LLINs from early 2006.

Both ACT and vector control measures have independently proven to be efficacious malaria control strategies. Ecological studies have credited ACT with enhancing treatment efficacy, reducing malaria transmission, and possibly forestalling drug resistance in low-endemicity areas.

Nigerian doubts over Africom base

he Nigerian government has said it would not allow its country to be used as a base for the US-African military command, Africom.

At a meeting of the National Council of State, President Umaru Yar'Adua said that Nigeria was also opposed to any such bases in West Africa.

He said Nigeria would prefer to work towards the establishment of an African standby force under regional direction.

The decision leaves Liberia as the only country willing to host the Americans.

There has been considerable unease in many African nations about American plans to establish a new military command for the continent.

Largely to allay those fears, US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte went on an African tour last week, outlining his plans.

But Nigeria, West Africa's regional superpower and key oil supplier to the US, remains unconvinced.

Regional influence

"The president restated the position of Nigeria not permitting a US base in our country or sub-region but to work towards the establishment of an African standby force," said Governor Bukola Saraki after the meeting.
Nigeria is not alone in its opposition - South Africa and Libya have also voiced strong reservations.

They dislike the idea of an American military base in their own backyard, undermining their regional influence.

There is also concern that Africom is really an attempt to protect US oil and mineral interests in Africa, amid growing competition for resources from Asian economies.

Then there are fears about the continent being drawn into the US war on terror.

The US says the base is not about militarisation but consolidating existing operations under one single command, while helping Africans with military training and supporting peacekeeping and aid operations.

But for countries like Nigeria, help is one thing - a base is quite another.

Togo: UN Agencies Continue Relief Efforts Following Deadly Floods

hree months after Togo endured its worst floods in three decades, United Nations humanitarian agencies are continuing their relief efforts in the West African country as receding flood waters allow aid workers to reach areas previously cut off.

UN agencies have been able to access some 60,000 people in recent weeks and provide them with enough food for the next two months, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today.

A grant of $1.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allowed UN agencies - including the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - to implement emergency projects to help the hardest hit Togolese.

The floods in August, which followed heavy rainfall across West Africa, killed at least 23 people in Togo and left tens of thousands in need of aid, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Certain areas of the country are still inaccessible because the floods destroyed roads and trails, and WFP officials are considering travelling by boat down the Oti River in northern Togo to reach those areas.

Other relief efforts are concentrated on preparations against potential disease epidemics, gathering further stocks of food and developing a national strategy for disaster prevention and management.

The floods have affected some 800,000 people in 14 West African countries - Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Guinea.

Niger raids leaves 'ghost town'

The entire population of northern Niger's remote desert town of Iferouane has fled as a result of insecurity, the deputy mayor has told the BBC.

Mohammed Oumma says an insurrection by Tuareg nomads, food shortages and army harassment have forced a wholesale exodus of the town's 5,000 residents.

The government in Niamey denies that Iferouane, home to several uranium mines, has become a ghost town.

But a spokesman admitted that rebels had mined roads, blocking supplies.

Mr Oumma said the last straw for the residents was when the armed forces conducted raids on the civilian population, whom they accused of lending support to the rebels.

The Niger Movement for Justice (MNJ) launched an uprising in northern Niger in February to demand greater autonomy for the Tuareg people.

BBC West Africa correspondent Will Ross says the Tuareg rebels have threatened to attack the uranium mines, as they demand a greater share of the proceeds.

Most MNJ attacks have been concentrated on army garrison outposts in the desert areas between Agadez and the border.

The rebels say they have killed more than 50 government soldiers and taken dozens captive.

The central government says much of the insecurity has been fomented by bandits and smugglers.

But our correspondent says that, with a state of emergency in place and no journalists allowed in, it is becoming increasingly difficult to know what is taking place in the north of Niger.

Chad to tighten charity controls

Chad is to review the credentials of all aid agencies operating following an alleged child-trafficking scandal.

Six French aid workers remain in custody in N'Djamena awaiting trial after they tried to fly out 103 children for adoption in Europe.

Many of the children were neither orphans, nor from Darfur as claimed by the Zoe's Ark charity.

Foreign Minister Ahmad Allam-Mi said preliminary checks would be conducted on all aid agencies.

He told the BBC that Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with whom Chad has long-standing partnerships, such as United Nations agencies and the Red Cross, would not be affected.

However "humanitarian NGOs which come to provide emergency aid to the east of the country" will now be screened "to determine their nationality, capacity, loyalty and honesty" he said.

According to the AFP news agency, between 150 and 200 aid agencies are working in Chad.

"We will take a census to know who is here legitimately and to ask those who are not to put their papers in order," Mr Allam-Mi told AFP.

There are some 240,000 refugees from neighbouring Darfur inside Chad along with 180,000 displaced Chadians, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Six die in Nigeria voting clashes

olice in Nigeria say six people have been killed in clashes linked to local governmental elections in the northern state of Kano.

Kano police commissioner Mohammed Aminu Yesafu said his officers had arrested dozens of people and recovered weapons including guns and machetes.

Violence erupted between government supporters and opposition party members as election results started to come in.

Voters in Kano cast ballots on Saturday for local constituency leaders.

"We have arrested 254 persons across the state for crimes ranging from assault (and) burning of government properties to killing," said Mr Yesafu, confirming the six deaths.

"Violence erupted spontaneously in all the local government areas following disagreements between political party supporters," Reuters news agency reported him as saying.

The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says although these are only local elections, political office in Nigeria means the prospect of considerable money and power, so political violence is never far away.

Kano state is one of the few in the country that is governed by the opposition.

So it was supporters of Nigeria's ruling party who said the results were rigged and decided to vent their anger.

Kano is now said to be relatively calm, but there are more results to come and there is concern the violence could flare again.

Our correspondent says that after the chaos, sponsored violence and massive vote-rigging of Nigeria's general elections in April, the president pledged to reform the electoral system.

But he says for now, at least, nothing has changed.

Nigeria: FG Rejects U.S. High Command

FEDERAL Government yesterday formerly rejected the hosting of the United States (US) sponsored African High Command (AFRICOM), opting instead for an African Standby Force for the Gullf of Guinea.

Government made the position known at the end of the National Council of State (NCS) meeting which was attended by former heads of state, governors and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Several Nigerian leaders, it would be recalled, have criticized the military initiative, saying it would amount to the expansion of US influence on the continent.

Speaking after the meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Kwara State governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki alongside his Kano and Bayelsa counterparts, Ibrahim Shekarau and Timipre Sylva said Nigeria would not allow the US-base in the country or elsewhere in the sub-region.

"We also addressed the issue of US-AFRICOM. The council of state was briefed on AFRICOM and some of the concerns and some of the views of the country were made known to us as members of the Council of State. The president restated the position of Nigeria not permitting US-base in our country or sub region but to work towards establishment of African Standby Force," Gov. Saraki said.

The US has said it aims to better protect America's strategic interest in Africa and assist African countries with military training and conflict prevention.

But a number of African countries-including Libya and South Africa-have expressed reservations about a move that could signal an expansion of US influence on the continent and may focus primarily on protecting oil interests.

Africom currently operates out of existing US bases on the continent with a headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Wart-wrecked Liberia, settled by freed American slaves in the 1800s, is the only African nation that has publicly offered to host a headquarters.

Nigeria, an OPEC member and one of the top suppliers of oil to America, has seen militant unrest in its southern petroleum region cut production by about one quarter in recent years.

The council also implored President Yar'Adua to meet South East governors over the activities of the activities of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

The council said the president should meet the governors to discuss the activities of the movement locally and internationally.

He said the council also discussed feeding in prisons, especially as to whether states could take part in feeding the inmates.
he council was informed that the federal government spent about N5 billion annually to feed the prisoners.

Gov. Saraki said the council took cognizance of the constitutional nature of the problem, adding that it could even affect the revenue allocation formula.

The governor said the council similarly mandated governors to demarcate grazing fields from farmlands to avoid clashes between farmers and cattle rearers.

Fifth 21/7 London bomber jailed

The last of five would-be bombers to target London on 21 July 2005 has been jailed for 33 years after admitting conspiracy to cause explosions.

Earlier this year a jury was unable to reach a verdict when Manfo Kwaku Asiedu went on trial accused of conspiracy to murder. That charge has been dropped.

The judge recommended Asiedu, 34, should be deported back to Ghana.

Four other men were jailed for life after being convicted of conspiracy to murder over the failed 2005 bombings.

Muktar Ibrahim, Yassin Omar, Ramzi Mohammed and Hussain Osman were told they would serve a minimum of 40 years.
A sixth man, Adel Yahya, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge earlier this month and was jailed for six years and nine months.

After the jury in his original trial was unable to reach a verdict, Asiedu had been due to face a retrial, which would have been extremely costly.

But after he agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to cause explosions, the prosecution dropped the charge of conspiracy to murder and he was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court.

'Dedicated terrorist'

After the hearing, Peter Clarke, the head of the Metropolitan Police's counter terrorism branch, welcomed the jailing of Asiedu.

He said: "He is a dedicated terrorist who consistently lied about the role he played in this plot. Only now, has he finally admitted his guilt."

Mr Clarke said the public must remain alert and anybody with concerns about suspicious behaviour should report them to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline.

He said; "In the weeks and months preceding the attacks, Asiedu and his accomplices compiled the raw ingredients to build their bombs.

"Much of the material was purchased on the high street and then put together in a flat in a busy residential area.

"We want people to look out for the unusual - some activity or behaviour which strikes them as not quite right and out of place in their normal day to day lives."

'Central figure'

Earlier, Judge Mr Justice Calvert-Smith told the court Asiedu had lied on an "epic scale" about his part in the bomb plot and that it was "inconceivable" he did not know the gang's motives.

He told Asiedu he had become the "central figure" in researching and buying the chemicals needed for the bombs.
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith said the public had waited for Asiedu to admit his part in the attacks and "explain his motivation for the commission of such a dreadful crime".

"You have effectively chosen not to do so," he said.

The judge added Asiedu not only had not attempted to warn the police or Londoners of the plot, he had also continued to assist the conspirators by trying to dispose of incriminating evidence.

But he told Asiedu: "The maximum sentence for this offence is one of life imprisonment. I do not believe that the criteria for such a sentence are met in your case.

"Although your involvement was central, you were certainly not the leader or organiser of the plot."

'Wrong crowd'

Asiedu, whose real name is Sumaila Abubakari, had claimed he was oblivious of the plan to kill anyone until hours before the plotters went into action.
He said that as soon as he had had the chance he had dumped his rucksack, containing explosives, in a park at Little Wormwood Scrubs in west London.

Defending Asiedu, Stephen Kamlish QC, told the court his client was a devout Muslim who had had "fallen in with the wrong crowd" after arriving in Britain from Ghana seeking a better life.

He said the other July 21 plotters took him in and gave him somewhere to live but also exposed him to their extremist views while they were living in the 'cauldron' of the council flat.

But Nigel Sweeney QC, prosecuting, said: "The defendant's principal role in the conspiracy was in the purchase of 443 litres [97.4 gallons] of hydrogen peroxide, which were a vital ingredient in the main charge of the explosive devices required to be connected.

"Further he took part in a cover-up after the bombs failed to explode both for his benefit and the benefit of his conspirators."

Having arrived in the UK on a false passport, he adopted the name Asiedu after finding documents belonging to a previous lodger of that name.

Asiedu then began attending a mosque in Finchley, north London, which was also frequented by co-defendant Yassin Omar.

And in June 2005, after a fire in his flat, he moved in with Omar at Curtis House in New Southgate.

Bomb ingredients

Curtis House later became a "bomb factory", with hundreds of bottles of hydrogen peroxide littering the flat.

Taking the stand during the trial, Asiedu presented himself as a terrified man and unwilling participant in the events of 21 July.

However, he was intimately involved in the buying of bomb ingredients including the critical element of hydrogen peroxide hair bleach.

He had been working as a painter and decorator at the time and told several wholesalers he needed the chemical to bleach wood or to strip wallpaper.

Mr Sweeney said: "He is plainly, or thinks he is, a consummate liar or deceiver - only someone who thinks that could go about false entry into the UK, adopting a false identity to remain here and go to the police taking them on in over 1,000 transcripts of interviews during which he sewed an intricate web of lies to try and avoid his guilt.

"He went on to give false statements and evidence on oath

Country profile: Chad

A largely semi-desert country, Chad is rich in gold and uranium and stands to benefit from its recently-acquired status as an oil-exporting state.

However, Africa's fifth-largest nation suffers from inadequate infrastructure and internal conflict. Poverty is rife, and health and social conditions compare unfavourably with those elsewhere in the region

OVERVIEW OF CHAD

Chad's post-independence history has been marked by instability and violence stemming mostly from tension between the mainly Arab-Muslim north and the predominantly Christian and animist south.
In 1969 Muslim dissatisfaction with the first president, Ngarta Tombalbaye - a Christian southerner - developed into a guerrilla war. This, combined with a severe drought, undermined his rule and in 1975 President Tombalbaye was killed in a coup led by another southerner, Felix Malloum.

Mr Malloum, too, failed to end the war, and in 1979 he was replaced by a Libyan-backed northerner, Goukouki Oueddei. But the fighting continued, this time with a former defence minister, Hissen Habre, on the opposite side.

In 1982, with French help, Mr Habre captured the capital, N'Djamena, and Mr Oueddei escaped to the north, where he formed a rival government. The standoff ended in 1990, when Mr Habre was toppled by the Libyan-backed Idriss Deby.

By the mid-1990s the situation had stabilised and in 1996 Mr Deby was confirmed president in Chad's first election.

In 1998 an armed insurgency began in the north, led by President Deby's former defence chief, Youssouf Togoimi. A Libyan-brokered peace deal in 2002 failed to put an end to the fighting.

From 2003 unrest in neighbouring Sudan's Darfur region spilled across the border, along with hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees. They have been joined by thousands of Chadians who are fleeing rebel fighting as well as violence between ethnic Arab and ethnic African Chadians.

Chad and Sudan accuse each other of backing and harbouring rebels.

Chad became an oil-producing nation in 2003 with the completion of a $4bn pipeline linking its oilfields to terminals on the Atlantic coast. The government has moved to relax a law controlling the use of oil money, which the World Bank had made a condition of its $39m loan.

Nigeria: N444.6bn N-Delta Budget Vote Not for Arms, David Mark Clarifies

Senate President, David Mark, yesterday clarified that the N444.6 billion voted for Niger Delta security in the 2008 budget was for the development of the region and not exclusively for security of the area.

His reaction came against the backdrop of claims by South-South senators and other prominent people from the Niger Delta that the amount tilted more in favour arms acquisition than development of the region.

But speaking in an interview with newsmen at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport shortly on arrival in Lagos, Senator Mark dismissed reports that the Senate was divided over the huge sum devoted to the security of the area in place of development.

According to him, " the N444.6 billion is for development of the Niger Delta and not for security, and it is mere speculation that the Niger Delta budget is for acquisition of arms for purposes of security of the area."

He said the Senate was unanimous on the budgetary allocation for the area, adding that stories of division over the matter were untrue.

The Niger Delta budgetary allocation has continued to generate controversies since President Umar Musa Yar'Adua presented the budget before a joint session of the National Assembly about two weeks ago.

While some senators, mainly from the South-South zone alleged that the budget was primarily dedicated to arms acquisition against development of the area, others said development of the region was the pivot of the budgetary allocation to the area.
Similarly, members of the Delta State House of Assembly appealed to the Senate to convert half of the allocation to actual development, alleging that a bigger chunk of the money was for security.

On Senate's refusal to screen some ambassadorial nominees over alleged security reports about them, the Senate President said there was no iota of truth in claims that some of the nominees have petitioned the Senate.

"It is speculation also that some ambassadorial nominees petitioned the Senate because they were not screened. I am not aware of that," Senator Mark added.

Nigeria: Bakassi - Cameroun Hasn't Accused Nigeria, Says Azazi

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Andrew Azazi, has said that Cameroon has not accused Nigeria soldiers of being responsible for the death of the 21 Cameroonian soldiers in the Bakasi Peninsula , last Monday, because that country is aware of the high level of criminality along the Nigerian creeks.

Azazi who stated this while responding to questions from journalists in Port Harcourt, Friday, during a visit to the Joint Task Force (Operation Flush-Out 3), was of the view that Nigerian troops had long voluntarily withdrawn from the area.

"The Cameroonian army has not insinuated that the Nigerian army was involved in the attack, as has been reported in the media. You know I am in Nigeria and we have all heard in the media that soldiers were killed somewhere in Cameroon, well I issued a statement this morning saying that there are speculations that Nigerian military was involved and I said that is very untrue.

"We voluntarily withdrew from Cameroon and no troops are deployed in that area. So if troops were not deployed in that area, how could Nigerian soldiers have been involved? Cameroonians are not insinuating that Nigerian soldiers attacked them, so if Cameroonians are not insinuating, then how could they attack Nigeria ? There is a high level of criminality along our creeks, there is a high level of criminality along our roads all over Nigeria , let's put that in perspective. Nigerian soldiers cannot be involved in things like that", he said.

On his part, Brigade Commander of the 2 Amphibious Brigade and Chairman of JTF in Port Harcourt, Brigadier Sarkin-Yaki Bello, informed Azazi that the lack of equipment and proper medical arrangement for his soldiers as part of the problems facing the
JTF.
General Azazi, however, said the task force would manage the resources at its disposal to handle the task it has been mandated to execute

"You can never have a perfect situation where you'll have everything that you want at your disposal. What you'll want to do is to meet your needs as the situation arises, we can't have everything, but the task force has been working assiduously to make sure that with whatever they have they are able to meet their obligations", he said.

The Defence boss later visited the Marine Base Sub-sector headquarters of Sector 1 of the JTF Command as well as Nembe Waterside, Abonnema Wharf and Soboma George's former base before he was conquered and chased out of Port Harcourt .

England flops to cost UK economy £1bn

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley will be one of the big losers should Michael Owen and England fail to qualify for Euro2008.

The Daily Express says the English economy stands to lose a staggering £1billion in extra revenue if Steve McClaren's England team fail to qualify for next summer's European Championship finals.
According to the British Retail Consortium, around £1.25bn was spent in the UK as a result of last year's World Cup and fans will keep at least half of that money in their pockets if England are not part of Euro 2008.

Ashley will be one of the biggest losers. His Sports Direct company have already ordered all their unofficial merchandise and had planned to buy in excess of one million official England shirts from Umbro.

"It would be disastrous if England don't qualify," said a source close to Ashley. "The order to Umbro would be cut by up to 80 per cent and it would cost the company tens of millions of pounds in lost revenue.

"A quarter of the store becomes an England shop during a major tournament and we sell everything; shirts, car packs, flags and wigs. We would be one of the worst affected if England are knocked out."

Daniel Pearce, managing editor of the Publican magazine, claimed England's absence from the finals would be "devastating" and would cost the pub industry alone about £100m.

"Tournaments such as Euro 2008 are a massive pull for pubs, especially during this age of challenging trading constraints with the recent smoking ban," he said.

"It would be devastating for the industry if England failed to get through and pubs would be forced to look for other opportunities to attract the customers during the tournament. For the World Cup, pubs sold an extra 59m pints, resulting in an additional income of £188m.

"If England were not in the championships then at least 50 per cent of that income would be lost."

NIGERIA POVERTY RATE

Dreams

Dunga Obeche, 31, is one of the estimated 100m Nigerians struggling to live on less than $1 a day.

As he beds down in the cramped back room of Don P Barbers in Abuja with his colleagues each night, he dreams of being an international hairstylist, winning awards and receiving great plaudits.

“I’m trying to save money for my own barbers but it isn’t easy,” he says.

Taking Pictures with a Digital Camera

Taking Pictures with a Digital Camera

Technology Articles |

This article talks about the benefits of using a digital camera. It also talks about automatic pictures for those who do not want to be behind the lens.

he development in science and technology in recent years has not just been about developing of devices that make life easier, it has also been a lot about making life more luxurious. One such great development has been the concept of digital camera.

Digital cameras are nothing but cameras that allow you to take pictures digitally instead of having to use cameras that take and store pictures on photographic films. They are easy to use, and are generally multifunctional, providing various facilities. Digital cameras are known for taking good images, which are as good as the pictures taken by the conventional cameras, if not better.

In fact, digital cameras allow one not only to click great pictures; they also allow one to view the pictures as and when taken. Therefore, if you take a picture, and are not satisfied with the way it looks, and if you still have the opportunity of capturing that special moment, you can go on clicking your camera, till you get exactly what you desire.

Digital cameras also allow the option of using a flash light as and when required, to obtain a much clear image. In many digital cameras, there is also an option for taking automatic pictures. This is especially meant for those special moments, when everybody wishes to get included in the picture, without being left out, staying behind the lens.

FACT ABOUT TOGOLESE PRESIDENT

President: Faure Gnassingbe
Faure Gnassingbe, the son of Togo's late veteran leader Gnassingbe Eyadema, won presidential elections in April 2005, gaining 60% of the votes.

The army tried to install Faure Gnassingbe after his father died
The poll was followed by street violence in the capital involving security forces and opposition supporters, who said the election had been rigged.
The Constitutional Court rejected the claim and a regional delegation said the vote had been broadly free and fair, despite isolated problems.
In August 2006 Togo's political parties agreed to form a transitional government of national unity, intended to draw a line under years of violence and instability and to herald parliamentary elections in 2007.
As a first step in implementing the deal, opposition party leader Yawovi Agboyibo was appointed as prime minister in September.
Togo's military installed Faure Gnassingbe as president after his father died in February 2005. The opposition and some African leaders described the succession as a military coup. Under strong international pressure Faure Gnassingbe stepped down and called the election.
• Prime minister: Yawovi Agboyibo