IGIHE

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  • Nigeria Planned to Arrest President Bashir

    {{The Nigerian government was deliberating on actions to be taken regarding the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir during his visit to Abuja last month where he attended a health summit organized by the African Union (AU), according to formal filing by Abuja released today.}}

    Nigeria at the time defended receiving Bashir who is subject to two arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and genocide committed in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

    As a member of the Hague-based court, Nigeria was theoretically obligated to apprehend the Sudanese leader during his stay.

    But officials in Abuja said that they are adhering to AU resolutions directing member states not to execute the warrants against Bashir.

    Later Nigerian newspapers quoted unnamed officials who said that they were caught by surprise as the invitation to Bashir was made by the AU and not by Abuja.
    Those officials stressed had they known in advance they would have made efforts to keep him away.

    The visit drew the ire of rights groups inside and outside Nigeria who argued that Nigeria was in breach of its international obligations under the Rome Statute.

    The Nigeria Coalition on the International Criminal Court (NCICC) filed a motion during Bashir’s short stay with the federal high court in Abuja seeking a domestic arrest warrant for him.

    Observers and AU officials believe this prompted the Sudanese president to abruptly leave Abuja less than 24 hours after arriving and without attending the main event of the summit which he was scheduled to address.

    Sudanese diplomats gave different explanations for Bashir’s sudden departure with some saying he had other engagements back home and others saying that leaders do not usually attend the entire events of conferences they are invited to.

    Diplomats at the conference said, that during the afternoon session, when Bashir was scheduled to speak, he was called to the podium but could not be found confirming the unexpected nature of his absence even by the organizers of the conference and the host nation.

    The Nigeria-based Guardian newspaper quoted AU officials last month as saying that Bashir “hurriedly left the VIP room amidst heavy security while the main conference was going on at the main hall” and apparently headed to the airport.

    In a filingmade with ICC judges made public today, the Nigerian government suggested that prior to Bashir’s sudden exit it was in the process of initiating arrest procedures against him.

    “President Al-Bashir made a brief appearance at the opening of the AU summit and without delivering any statement, left the country” said the letter signed by Nigeria’s Justice minister Mohammed Bello Adoke who is also the country’s Attorney General.

    “The sudden departure of President Al-Bashir prior to the official end of the AU summit occurred at a time that officials of relevant bodies and agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria were considering the necessary steps to be taken in respect of his visit in line with Nigeria’s international obligations” it read in part.

    It is not clear if Bashir was tipped off on the thinking of the Nigerian government thus pushing him to rush home.

    The Nigerian official stressed his country’s “firm commitment” to the ICC and “readiness for continued cooperation” with the court “to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community”.

    Adoke noted Nigeria’s decision to arrest and send back Liberia ex-president Charles Taylor to stand trial in the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).

    {sudantribune}

  • EAC states Urged to Constantly Monitor MDGs

    {{The East African community (EAC) partner states have been urged to re-focus monitoring and achieving of the millennium development goals (MDGS) as the set deadline 2015 draws near.}}

    According to Tanzanian vice-president Dr. Mohammed Gharib Bilal, there is need for constant monitoring of MDGs by EAC partner states especially ‘shelter for all’ goal as an important agenda in social – economic development.

    “On various occasions, the EAC summit of heads has directed the council and secretariat to invest more of their energies in agriculture development, food security, infrastructure (both social and economic), industrial development and private sector promotion,” he remarked.

    Gharib made the remarks on Monday while opening a two-day East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) conference on MDGs in Arusha Tanzania.

    Dr. Mohammed told the conference that Tanzania had taken measures aimed at addressing the challenges of unplanned settlement and slums in the urban population and was undertaking a study with the united nations- Habitat.

    “Legislators must re-focus their oversight activities in the development agenda, they should not only be critical to their governments but must stress what has been achieved, where the failures are and the reasons whether they resulted from inadequate resources or misplaced priorities,” noted Gharib.

    The conference was attended by EALA members, legislators from South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi.

    EALA speaker Margaret Zziwa urged EAC parliamentarians to address issues that affect their communities for the attainment of the desired MDGs in their respective countries.

    “As Parliamentarians, we must rise to the moment and follow up on these critical issues through enacting laws or holding accountable on policies regarding decent and affordable housing, and sustainable cities” she said.

    She added that there was need to ensure equitable share of resources to sectors like health (MDGs 2, 4 and 5) education (4 and 6), water (7) food production, fuel and energy provisions, housing, among others which mainly affect the most vulnerable sections of the society.

    Zziwa said unemployment and under-employment were the most devastating challenges afflicting youth and constraining their very survival in the EAC region.

    Statistics reveal that only 11% of school graduates can acquire jobs in the public sector. In Kenya, 72% of the unemployed population is below 30 years of age.

    “Unemployment means the region may not be able to comfortably realize MDG No: 1,” said Zziwa.

    The two day conference features presentations on a wide spectrum of issues on MDGs with each region expected to share their experiences in the subject matter.

    Newvision

  • Tanzania Fires Airport Officials over Drug Trafficking

    {{Reports from Tanzania indicate that four officials suspected of aiding drug traffickers to smuggle 150Kgs of drugs through the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) had their contracts officially terminated yesterday.}}

    They were immediately taken into custody at the airport police station for questioning over the trafficking of crystal methamphetamine by two Tanzanian women who were arrested in South Africa last month.

    The women were arrested at the O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, after authorities discovered 150kg of illicit drugs worth Sh7 billion in their luggage.

    JNIA director Moses Malaki, confirmed to local media yesterday that the officials were given dismissal letters yesterday.

    “We are also in the process of forming a team to investigate the matter. The officials will have to appear before the team for questioning,” Mr Malaki noted.

    The team, which will probe drug trafficking through JNIA, will work for 14 days and will table its findings to law enforcement organs for action.

    {NMG}

  • Uhuru, Ruto ask for different ICC dates

    {{Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto and broadcaster Joshua arap Sang want their trial at the International Criminal Court held at different times with that of President Kenyatta in a move aimed at avoiding a vacuum in the country’s leadership.}}

    The matter was raised on Monday at a status conference that had been convened to discuss among other issues, the duration of the prosecution case and the average time witnesses should take while giving their testimonies.

    Lawyer Katwa Kigen, for Mr Sang, said according to the schedule of the hearings, they had realised that come November, the court will have the difficult task of conducting the two trials simultaneously.

    Mr Ruto and Mr Sang’s trial is set to commence on September 10 while that of President Kenyatta will begin on November 12.

    The three face crimes against humanity charges for their alleged role in the 2007-2008 post-election violence in which 1,133 people died and at least 650,000 others were rendered homeless.

    The lawyer proposed that the two cases be held on a three-week alternating period.
    Presiding judge Chile Eboe-Osuji asked the parties involved in the trial to give their views on the proposal.

    Mr Ruto’s lawyer, Mr Karim Khan, said: We support the proposal by Mr Kigen.” A representative from the prosecutor’s office also said he had no objection to the request.

    {Consultation Time}

    However, Judge Eboe-Osuji said the chamber could not make an immediate ruling on the matter as it needed further consultation with the judges set to preside over the trial of President Kenyatta.

    “This is a matter that this chamber cannot resolve on its own. We shall consult with the judges in the second case and make a resolution which will be communicated in due course,” he said.

    {NMG}

  • Ghana Downplays US Alarm over Election Petition Judgement

    {{Ghana has downplayed suggestions by the United States government that there could be pockets of violence after the Supreme Court delivers its judgement on the election petition challenging the legitimacy of President John Mahama.}}

    According to Deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye-Fosu, government does not anticipate any form of violence after the court gives its decision on August 29.

    Government, he said, believes the nation will continue to be peaceful and united.

    The US embassy in Ghana on Monday advised all US nationals to avoid the offices of political parties, the Supreme Court, buildings of other institutions associated with the elections, and all political rallies, fearing the possibility of an increase in political tensions and isolated violence associated when the court’s decision is announced.

    However government, while agreeing that the US government reserves “the right to take any step that they deem will be beneficial to their citizens”, said there is no cause for alarm.

    Mr Ofosu Kwakye stated that the nation’s security agencies are on the alert and are prepared “to guarantee the safety of all the citizens of Ghana and everybody living within the boundary of Ghana”.

    “We do not believe that the statement issued by the US embassy gives cause for any alarm,” he maintained.

  • State Prosecutors to seek Life for Pistorius

    {State prosecutors in South Africa will be seeking a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment for Oscar Pistorius when he goes on trial in March 2014 for murdering Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day this year. }

    It appears the prosecution will rely on witness statements that screams were heard coming from Pistorius’s house before and after several gunshots rang out, Eyewitness News reported.

    The State has a list of 107 witnesses it will call on, including neighbours, police officers, ex-girlfriends of Pistorius and the athlete’s sister Aimee.

    Pistorius claims the shooting was an accident as he believed there was an intruder locked in the bathroom but the State is alleging that it was pre-meditated murder.

    But the State will also argue that even if his version is believed, by firing four gunshots blindly through the locked toilet cubicle door, Pistorius intended to kill the person behind it.

    The athlete’s legal team now have six months to start preparing for trial.

    {news24}

  • U.S. says Won’t Lift Zimbabwe Sanctions

    The United States believes Zimbabwe’s recent election was flawed and it doesn’t plan to loosen sanctions against President Robert Mugabe’s government until there are signs of change in the country, the State Department said on Monday, despite an endorsement of the vote by Southern African leaders.

    Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, is set to be sworn in as president as early as this week, extending his 33-year rule of the country after winning the July 31 election.

    The 15-nation Southern African Development Community, which helped broker a power-sharing deal after disputed elections in Zimbabwe in 2008, backed Mugabe’s re-election on Sunday.

    “The United States stands by our assessment that these elections, while relatively peaceful, did not represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people due to serious flaws throughout the electoral process,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

    “We have made clear to the government of Zimbabwe and the region that a change in U.S. sanctions policy will occur only in the context of credible, transparent and peaceful reforms that reflect the will of the Zimbabwean people.”

    The opposition Movement for Democratic Change, led by Morgan Tsvangirai, on Friday dropped its court challenge to Mugabe’s landslide win, saying it doubted it would get a fair hearing.

    The Zimbabwe Election Support Network said registration flaws may have disenfranchised up to a million people out of 6.4 million registered voters.

    The United States imposed sanctions on Mugabe in 2003. The sanctions, which ban more than 250 Zimbabwean individuals and companies from doing business with the United States, were extended in 2009.

    Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980 and is Africa’s oldest leader.

    Psaki said it was “feasible” that the U.S. could review sanctions toward Zimbabwe if conditions in the country improved, but for now they would remain.

    Soon after his nomination as Secretary of State, John Kerry wrote to Mugabe outlining the U.S. position on elections and the opportunities it provided for the country.

    The U.S. had said it was willing to roll back sanctions and expand trade and investment if elections were conducted in a free and credible environment.

    {reuters}

  • Nigeria Military Says Boko Haram Leader ‘may be dead’

    {{Nigeria’s militant Islamist leader Abubakar Shekau may have been killed by the security forces during a shoot-out, an army spokesman has said.}}

    An “intelligence report” showed that Shekau, the leader of the Boko Haram group, may have died between 25 July and 3 August, Lt-Col Sagir Musa said.

    Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has not commented on the statement.

    The US had put a bounty of $7m (£4.6m) on Shekau’s head.

    The intelligence report suggested that Shekau was shot on 30 June, when soldiers raided a Boko Haram base at Sambisa Forest in north-eastern Nigeria.

    “Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroon for treatment… It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August 2013,” Col Musa said.

    A video of Shekau, released on 13 August, was “dramatised by an imposter to hoodwink the sect members to continue with the terrorism”, he added.

    On 14 August, the military said it had killed Boko Haram’s second-in-command, Momodu Bama, also known by his alias “Abu Saad”.

    Correspondents say there is no independent confirmation of Shekau’s or Bama’s death.

    Thousands of people have died since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009.

    A claim in 2009 that Shekau had been killed turned out to be untrue, they add.

    {agencies}

  • Muslim Brotherhood leader Badie Detained

    {{Egyptian authorities said Tuesday they had arrested the supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, as they stepped up a campaign to crush the party of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.}}

    The arrest stoked fears of an escalation in the already tense situation in Egypt, where nearly 900 people have died in days of clashes nationwide between security forces and Islamist supporters of Morsi.

    In the latest bloodshed, militants killed 25 policemen in the restive Sinai Peninsula, just hours after 37 Muslim Brotherhood prisoners died in police custody.

    The interior ministry said police picked up Brotherhood chief Mohamed Badie, 70, near Rabaa al-Adawiya square, where more than 200 Morsi supporters were killed on Wednesday as police cleared their protest camp.

    Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, including Badie, have been accused by Egypt’s military-backed authorities of inciting the violence that the deaths of protesters.

    And judicial sources said fresh accusations had been levelled against Morsi himself, who has been held in a secret location since the military deposed him on July 3.

    Meanwhile, former president Hosni Mubarak won conditional release in the third of four cases against him, but remained in detention on the fourth.

    The bloodbath sparked by the crisis showed little sign of abating as militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at two buses carrying police in Sinai on Monday—the deadliest attack of its kind in decades.

    The interior ministry blamed the attack on “armed terrorist groups” and officials later said the border with the Palestinian Gaza strip, near where the attack occurred, would be closed.

    source: {France24}

  • Russia Battles Huge far east Flood

    {{More than 20,000 people have been evacuated from flood-stricken areas in Russia’s far east, where the Amur river has burst its banks after heavy rain.}}

    The army and emergency workers have set up 166 temporary shelters across three regions, providing drinking water, hot food and medical supplies, RIA Novosti news agency reports.

    But Russian Vesti TV reports that many people do not want to be evacuated.

    The Amur and Khabarovsk regions, near the Chinese border, are worst affected.

    Both the Amur river and a major tributary, the Zeya, have flooded huge areas in what is said to be the region’s worst flooding for 120 years.

    The damage so far has been estimated at about 3bn roubles (£58m; $91m).

    Russian TV showed footage of armoured personnel carriers and amphibious military vehicles carrying civilians to safety from flooded areas.

    Soldiers have been deployed to guard abandoned homes to prevent looting.

    Rescuers have airlifted to safety two brown bears from a flooded tourism resort near the city of Blagoveshchensk in the Amur region.

    A helicopter has taken the two adult bears to high ground some 800m (2,625ft) from the Zelyonaya resort.

    The flood in the Amur region has now practically passed its peak, the head of the Russian Meteorological Service is quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency.

    Experts suggest the flooding will not get any worse over the next few days, but the weather forecast promises more rain later this month, says BBC Russian’s Yuri Maloveryan in Blagoveshchensk.

    {agencies}