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BURUNDI :
RWANDA
UGANDA
Uganda: Country Starts Oil Production This Year Kampala — UGANDA will start producing crude oil this year, Tullow Oil, the Irish firm exploring for oil and gas in Uganda, disclosed. Speaking to journalists in Kampala yesterday, Paul McDade, the chief operations officer, announced that initial oil production will be 500-1,000 barrels per day, which will progressively rise to 10,000 barrels next year and to 150,000 barrels in 2015. “We will start producing about 500 to 1,000 barrels a day in the middle of this year,” he said. “This is not economically significant but it is a great step forward for Ugandans to know that their oil is being used for industrial use.” McDade said the oil will be produced from the Kasamene field in Buliisa and will be used for the local industry and power generation. Kasamene is located in block 2, which is fully owned by Tullow Oil. The other two oil fields, blocks 1 and 3A, are jointly owned with Heritage, which is in the process of selling off its 50% stake. “We would like to produce oil on a test basis to see how the oil wells behave and how the crude can be transported by truck since it is waxy. We will have to heat the oil to keep it flowing,” McDade explained. Tullow plans to invest between $300m and 400m in this initial phase but raise the amount to $5b to produce 150,000 barrels per day. McDade disclosed that the two companies which Tullow preferred to work with were the Chinese state-owned CNOOC and French Total. “The Chinese are best in building refineries and they move fast. CNOOC has just built a big refinery in China which can refine the same quality of oil as in Uganda. They built it in a period of two years.” He added that they are also looking forward to work with the Ugandan national oil company that is in the process of being formed. Reacting to criticism that they have not delivered on the early production scheme, the Tullow boss said they preferred drilling more wells to assess the total oil reserves rather than spending all their money on one small oil field. “A refinery is a very expensive project for both the private and public sector. You cannot put in place a refinery unless you are sure that you have enough oil supply for 20 or more years.” He said Tullow together with its partner, Heritage, has invested so far about $700m in Uganda. The London-listed company yesterday also announced that they placed 80 million new shares on the London stock exchange to fundraise for its operations in Uganda and Ghana. Uganda Opposition Leader Demands Electoral Reforms Ahead of 2011 Elections James Butty/ www1.voanews.com/ 29 January 2010 | Washington, DC The leader of Uganda’s main opposition party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) said he believes next year’s presidential election will not be free and fair. Kizza Besigye said unless Uganda undertakes and achieves meaningful electoral reforms, the country could be plunged into another era of political instability and violence. “We are now in the process of stumping for electoral reforms, and I can see that we are at such a crossroads where if the next election is equally not credible, my prediction is that Uganda will plunge into another era of political instability and violence,” Besigye said. Besigye said the reforms before the 2011 elections should include the appointment of an independent elections commission and the removal of the military from monitoring elections. “As I have said, the last two elections were grossly rigged, and the same electoral commission has just been re-appointed by candidate Yoweri Museveni who is going to be contesting the next election. So really you have an electoral commission which serves at the pleasure of one of the candidates,” he said. President Museveni’s decision last year to re-appoint Badru Kiggunda as chair of the country’s Electoral Commission was met by violent protests from opposition supporters. Kiggundu was accused of rigging the 2006 elections in favor of President Museveni. But he told VOA last year that he was proud of the way his commission handled Uganda’s past elections. Kiggundu said Uganda has a legal framework, and that if the opposition is dissatisfied with his reappointment, then they should take legal recourse. Besigye is being challenged by retired Major General Mugisha Muntu to be the FDC’s candidate in the 2011 presidential election. Besigye said only he offers the best chance to defeat President Yoweri Museveni in 2011. “I have already been a candidate twice and been through two elections and was the runner up in both elections. In the 2006 elections, according to the declared results, I got 10 percent of the polls more than I had got in 2001 in spite of the fact that the elections were grossly rigged and the Supreme Court of Uganda declared them as not free and fair. So my colleagues considered that I offer the party the best chance still to take power from the ruling government,” he said. Besigye said the fact that he is being challenged by General Muntu is a sign of transparent democracy within the FDC. “Obviously our party members would like to take power, and so they obviously look for a person who will give the party the best chance. And we do so through a very open and democratic process. And if I am not to be chosen the party will still have got what it wants, a person that is considered as the best to give us success,” Besigye said. He agreed there is always the danger that the FDC could hand President Museveni the 2011 election if the contest for the party’s presidential candidate is not conducted properly. But Besigye said both he and General Muntu are politically prudent and conscious of their responsibilities. He said he would support whoever the FDC chooses as its presidential candidate because the party is not about him.
TANZANIA:
China Knowledge/Jan. 29, 2010 Reportedly, Jinchuan will join the exploration in the project as the operator and fiscal official. It has signed an option agreement with Beijing Songshan Heli Mining Investment Co Ltd, which holds a stake in the mine. Tanzanian Royalty Exploration said that exploration is expected to start at the beginning of this year. As China’s largest manufacturer of nickel, Jinchuan plans to increase its output by two-thirds within five years.
CONGO RDC :
KENYA :
IU-Kenya Partnership gets $5 million USAID grant INDIANAPOLIS – A partnership between Indiana University School of Medicine and a medical school and hospital in Kenya has received an additional $5 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development to expand health care services in the African nation. The IU Medical School partnered with the Moi (moy) University School of Medicine and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital to create a health care access program that won a $60 million grant from the agency in 2007 to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS in western Kenya. More than 100,000 Kenyans receive HIV/AIDS treatment through the program’s system of community health workers in 23 full-time clinics and 23 satellite clinics. The additional funding announced Wednesday by IU will combine with private funding to expand the network of clinics.
By Janice Kew/Bloomberg/Jan. 29 Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) — The following events may influence trading in sub-Saharan African bonds and currencies today. Burundi: The central-east African nation will announce the amount of Treasury bills it will put on sale at its next auction. The Burundian franc, which is pegged to the value of a composite of currencies, was unchanged against the dollar at 1,230 by 4:57 p.m. in the capital, Bujumbura. Kenya: The monetary policy committee of the East African nation’s central bank will hold a press conference. The MPC kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged at a record low of 7 percent on Jan. 26. The shilling strengthened 0.8 percent to 75.72 versus the dollar as of 5:56 p.m. in Nairobi from yesterday’s close. Nigeria: The West African nation’s High Court will rule on a lawsuit seeking to declare Umaru Yar’Adua unfit to be president. Yar’Adua has been receiving medical treatment for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia since Nov. 23. The naira weakened 0.3 percent to 150.74 per dollar by 4:30 p.m. in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos. South Africa: The country’s central bank releases money supply and private sector credit data, while National Treasury publishes monthly tax revenue and expenditure figures. The South Revenue Service releases December trade data. The rand strengthened 0.4 percent to 7.5915 versus the dollar as of 5:31 p.m. in Johannesburg, South Africa’s commercial capital. The benchmark 13.5 percent security due September 2015 yielded 8.44 percent, four basis points lower than the previous day. Jurists extol Kenya draft law NAIROBI, Kenya, January 29 – The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya chapter) has lauded the Parliamentary Select Committee(PSC) “for a job well done” in debating the harmonised draft constitution. Chairman Albert Kamunde said that their efforts showed the commitment of leaders to give Kenyans a new constitution. He is urging for patience as the PSC prepares to submit its recommendations to the Committee of Experts on Friday. “I think the PSC is doing a vital job, they have been working day and night so to speak so I think that they are doing a good job. I am hoping and I trust that there will be a positive result and we will have a document very soon,” he said. The ICJ chairman however called on Kenyans to scrutinise the changes made and contribute towards making the document all inclusive. “It is good for everybody to be vigilant, and see what changes they have proposed and also give their views about it,” he stressed. “This is a process and a negotiation and it is something which is bound to keep changing and every Kenyan needs to state what needs to be done.” The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review wound up its retreat in Naivasha on Thursday with broad consensus on various contentious issues. They revised the number of proposed MPs, this time to 349 and removed a requirement for all judges to resign and be subjected to fresh vetting. Apart from removing the requirement for judges to re-apply for their jobs, the PSC provided for the Chief Justice’s appointment to be initiated by the Judicial Service Commission, nominated by the President and approved by Parliament. The PSC also reduced the authority of the Senate, making it lower to the National Assembly and with no powers to make laws. The MPs reached consensus on the structure of security organs, and further resolved to retain the Provincial Administration which will be structured to suit a devolved government. The Committee agreed to allow dual citizenship. “A citizen of Kenya by birth does not lose his citizenship by acquiring another citizenship,” they said. Three organs of National Security namely Kenya Defence Forces, National Intelligence Service and Kenya Internal Security Services – the latter to include the Kenya Police and Administration Police, and headed by Inspector General were also set up. The President will be elected by universal suffrage, 50 per cent +1 and 25 percent in more than half of the counties. The election of the President will also be held separately from the National Assembly elections. Commercial deal signed for Kenyan wind-energy project Construction on a $750-million wind power project in Kenya could begin soon, following the signing of a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between the developer of the project, Lake Turkana Wind Power Consortium (LTWP), and Kenya Power & Lighting Company (KPLC). “We have signed a 20-year PPA with KPLC. “This will now enable us to start construction of the wind power plant to help meet Kenya’s increasing power needs,” says LTWP MD Chris Staubo. When completed, the 300-MW plant, in northern Kenya, will be the biggest wind farm in Africa. The signing of the agreement was the culmination of months of negotiations after financiers raised concerns about KPLC’s ability to issue irrevocable letters of credit owing to its shaky cash flow. The wind farm will consist of 367 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850 kW. The wind farm is expected to start production in June 2011 and reach full production of 300 MW by July 2012. When completed, the plant will add about 30% to Kenya’s installed generation capacity. Currently, the East African nation has an installed capacity of 1 065 MW. Kenya has embarked on massive investments in the energy sector to increase the installed capacity to 3 000 MW by 2013. The planned wind farm will be the third in Kenya, after the Ngong I and II wind power plants, which are owned by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company and have a combined capacity of 15 MW. Edited by: Martin Zhuwakinyu
ANGOLA :
SOUTH AFRICA:
Hudaco, Investec, Spar, Woolworths: South Africa Equity Preview Jan. 29 (Bloomberg) — The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in South Africa. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names and prices are from the last close. South Africa’s FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index lost 6.83, or 0.03 percent, to 26,795.30 at the close in Johannesburg. The measure has dropped 3.2 percent this year. Hudaco Industries Ltd. (HDC SJ): The distributor of industrial products said net income fell 21 percent to 243 million rand ($32 million) in the year through November. The stock rose 1.50 rand, or 2.5 percent, to 62.50 rand, after sliding 4.4 percent on Jan. 27. Illovo Sugar Ltd. (ILV SJ): JPMorgan equity analyst Vikhyat Sharma downgraded his recommendation on the sugar producer’s stock to “underweight” from “neutral.” The shares slid 5 cents, or 0.8 percent, to 33.40 rand. Investec (INL SJ): The private bank and money manager releases a management update for the nine months through December. Investec rose 1.07 rand, or 2 percent, to 54.32 rand. Spar Group Ltd. (SPP SJ): JPMorgan equity analyst Sean Holmes raised his recommendation on the grocery, liquor and building-materials distributor’s stock to “overweight” from “neutral.” The shares rose 2 rand, or 2.9 percent, to 71 rand. Woolworths Holdings Ltd. (WHL SJ): The food and clothing retailer plans to issue 11 million shares to its Woolworths (Pty) Ltd. unit at 17.24 rand each in a transaction that the stock exchange regards as a share buyback by the subsidiary. The stock was also raised to “overweight” from “neutral” by JPMorgan equity analyst Sean Holmes. The shares rose 45 cents, or 2.5 percent, to 18.25 rand. Shares or American depositary receipts of the following South African companies closed as follows: Anglo American Plc (AAUKY US) lost 3.5 percent to $18.67. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU US) slid 0.4 percent to $37.37. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BBL US) fell 2 percent to $60.14. DRDGold Ltd. (DROOY US) fell 0.2 percent to $6.30. Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI US) fell 0.8 percent to $12.03. Harmony Gold Mining Co. (HMY US) declined 0.1 percent to $9.68. Impala Platinum Holdings Co. (IMPUY US) fell 2.7 percent to $26.41. Sappi Ltd. (SPP US) climbed 3.2 percent to $4.24. Sasol Ltd. (SSL US) fell 0.8 percent to $37.32. Telkom South Africa Ltd. (TLKGY US) rose 1.2 percent to $17.55.
Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) — South Africa’s Competition Commission said it is investigating airlines for “allegedly colluding” over ticket costs and pricing strategies during this year’s Soccer World Cup tournament in the country. The companies include Johannesburg-based Comair Ltd., which is part owned by British Airways Plc, state-owned South African Airways Ltd., 1time Holdings Ltd., SA Airlink, and SA Express, the Pretoria-based Commission said in an e-mailed statement today. 1time, Comair, SA Airlink and SA Express denied colluding. South Africa hopes the World Cup, the world’s most-watched sporting event, will attract as many as 450,000 visitors in June and July, mainly from Europe. South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized economy, has expanded airports in cities that will host World Cup matches. “Some firms might want to exploit the situation by engaging in anti-competitive conduct,” Competition Commissioner Shan Ramburuth said in the statement. “The Commission is obliged to investigate all legitimate complaints in such instances.” Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo airport is southern Africa’s biggest transport hub, with 17 million passengers passing through every year, according to its Web site. South Africa’s target for visitors may be impossible to reach because a lack of affordable flights from Europe, said Jerome Valcke, secretary- general of soccer’s ruling body, FIFA. E-mail Correspondence “It’s impossible to find a seat,” he told reporters in Johannesburg yesterday. “If you want to do it, it costs a fortune.” SAA, whose low-cost unit Mango is also being investigated, submitted e-mail correspondence between airlines as evidence. The carrier is cooperating with the commission in exchange for “leniency from prosecution,” the Commission said. SAA spokeswoman Sarah Uys said she couldn’t immediately comment when called. SA Airlink said it received but didn’t respond to an e-mail “by a Comair employee raising the issue of coordinating pricing strategies ahead of the World Cup.” “SA Airlink did not seek to involve itself in the collusive conduct unilaterally suggested by another airline,” the company said in an e-mailed response to questions. Fix Prices Comair CEO Gidon Novick, in a phone interview, said his company hasn’t colluded over ticket prices. He declined to comment on SA Airlink’s allegations without having seen what they’re based on. “There has been no discussion of pricing, we set our own pricing, pricing is set in the context of the market,” Novick said. “Airlines watch what other airlines are doing, but we certainly don’t collude.” Deputy Competition Commissioner Thembinkosi Bonakele said today that a company, which he declined to name, had submitted a proposal to fix prices. “There is an issue about whether other airlines actually followed that proposal or they didn’t,” Bonakele said in an interview on Johannesburg’s 702 Talk Radio. “The proposal was very clear about the strategy that needed to be followed around the World Cup period.” Itime Chief Executive Officer Rodney James denied there had been any collusion or discussions with SAA. “We do not communicate with SAA at all, not by e-mail or any means,” James said in a phone interview. “We are fierce competitors, we certainly don’t talk to them about pricing issues.” SA Express “is not party to any collusion with other airlines pertaining to pricing strategies during the 2010 World Cup tournament,” Dileseng Koetle, a company spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed response to questions. Comair closed unchanged at 2.8 rand in Johannesburg, and 1time was unchanged at 1.15 rand. Mminele Says Weak Rand May Undermine Competitiveness (Update1) By Nasreen Seria/Bloomberg/Jan. 29 Jan. 28 (Bloomberg) — South African Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Daniel Mminele said any move to weaken the rand without controlling inflation wouldn’t improve the competitiveness of local industry. The bank buys foreign currency mainly to add to reserves and purchases depend on “volatility conditions, the liquidity situation in the market and cost considerations,” Mminele said in a speech in Johannesburg today, according to a copy that was posted on the central bank’s Web site. The Reserve Bank hasn’t increased the pace of dollar purchases to weaken the rand, even after Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Trade Minister Rob Davies said the currency was too strong and companies said it was undermining exports. Central bank Governor Gill Marcus has said on three occasions since taking office on Nov. 9 that it’s not the bank’s job to intervene to influence the level of the currency. “If the nominal exchange rate were to depreciate without inflation being controlled at the same time, there would be no improvement in the level of competitiveness,” Mminele said. “So the real exchange rate is more important.” The rand rallied 28 percent against the dollar last year, the second-best performer of 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The currency was at 7.5633 against the dollar as of 4:23 p.m. in Johannesburg. Not Indifferent South Africa’s exchange-rate system has helped cushion the economy from the impact of the global financial crisis and the rand’s level is “a very important factor in the inflation process,” Mminele said. “The commitment to a flexible exchange rate should not be misconstrued to suggest that we are indifferent as far as the level of the exchange rate is concerned,” he said. The Reserve Bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fourth consecutive meeting on Jan. 26, concerned that rising electricity prices will keep inflation outside of the 3 percent to 6 percent target range. Inflation climbed to 6.4 percent in December. “We continue to be of the view that the consistency of our policy approach will result in inflation readings being back within the target range on a sustainable basis from the second quarter of this year,” Mminele said. Core Mandate Mminele said price stability is “core to the mandate” of the Reserve Bank, though it isn’t “an end in itself, but in the interest of balanced and sustainable growth.” The ruling African National Congress and its labor union allies are pushing to broaden the bank’s directive to keep inflation within a 3 percent to 6 percent target range. “We note the current debates around the appropriateness of our mandate and questions about how that mandate is executed,” Mminele said. “The Reserve Bank has indicated its willingness to openly engage various stakeholders to both explain its approach and to explore with them any ideas they may bring forward.”
AFRICA / AU :
Go Back to Africa: Hatin’ on Black History January 29, 2010 /BY PAUL SCOTT/www.lawattstimes.com “Go back to Africa!” Back when I was in elementary school, that statement would either lead to fist fights or tears, depending on the temperament of the one dissed. Many black folks vividly recall the first time they were called the “N-word” and how they eventually got over it. But for me, the taunt “go back to Africa” hasn’t been easy to shake. See, for black kids like me, being told to take a trip back across the Atlantic was the ultimate insult, as it meant being exiled to a place where cannibals with bones in their noses ran around with spears, waiting to catch some unsuspecting person slippin’ so that he could be Sunday evening supper. After all, this is the image of Africa that black kids were given courtesy of those old Looney Tune cartoons and Tarzan movies. Unfortunately, the educational system back then did nothing to counter this negative depiction of Africa. The textbooks only reinforced the idea of “the Dark Continent” as a God-forsaken place that made no contribution to civilization besides slave labor. In early texts, Africa was divided into “white” Africa (Northern Africa) and “black” Africa (sub-Saharan Africa). So the achievements of the ancient Egyptians were credited to Greek invaders, and the empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhai were written out of history altogether. Things have not changed much since I was young. An unbiased view of African world history is still sadly missing from most school systems to the detriment of thousands of black children every school year. While it is widely accepted that Afrocentricity was a product of the Black Power Movement of the late 1960s, it actually started more than 100 years earlier. According to Mia Bay in her book “The White Image in the Black Mind,” as early as the 1830s, scholars such as John Russwurm and David Walker were championing the idea of the African American connection to the great ancient civilizations of Egypt. In his 1920 essay, “The Souls of White Folk,” W.E.B. DuBois proclaimed, “Europe has never produced and never will, in our day, bring forth a single human soul who cannot be matched and over matched in every line of human endeavor by Asia and Africa.” In 1926, Carter G. Woodson founded Black History Week (later becoming Black History Month). However, as he wrote in his book “The Miseducation of the Negro” in 1933, teaching African Americans that they had accomplished just as much as any other race would “upset the program of the oppressor in Africa and America.” Therefore, there has been a concerted effort to confine all talk of black history to the period after the 18th century. The modern concept of Afrocentricity can be attributed to professors such as Molefi Asante, John Henrik Clark and Yosef ben-Jochannan, as their works created a series of arguments and counterarguments over the validity of Afrocentric scholarship in the mid-1990s. Although many bemoan the educational gap between African American children (especially males) and their peers, the suggestion of Afrocentric studies as a viable solution to the problem more times than not falls on deaf ears. Despite the fact that many members of my generation who developed a zeal for reading were inspired by a single book dealing with the African experience, be it “Stolen Legacy” by George G.M. James or “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” by Anthony Browder, many do not believe that books dealing with the African experience could have the same impact on this so-called hip-hop generation. Several factors have served as stumbling blocks to Afrocentricity being included in school curriculum, despite years of prodding by grassroots activists concerned about the welfare of black children. First, it must be understood that, while Afrocentricity is an academic construct, for many, the idea is politically charged. Any call for the affirmation of one’s “blackness” is usually drowned out by cries of reverse racism and divisiveness. Secondly, Afrocentricity challenges the very foundation of Western thought. Many will shudder at the mere fact of their adoration of Greek culture being challenged by pre-19th Dynasty Egypt. Finally, the resistance that comes from school administrators and educators who have a vested professional interest in preserving the status quo is perhaps the main obstacle. Either they do not have sufficient knowledge of black history themselves or do not have the courage to challenge the false doctrine of educational white supremacy. As James Lowen wrote in his book “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” “perhaps the most pervasive theme in our history is the domination of black America by white America.” So, they are more comfortable allowing our children to become indoctrinated with hip-hop lyrics and gang rituals instead of inspirational messages of self-empowerment. As we approach this year’s Black History Month observation, parents, activists and concerned citizens must demand not only that the concept of black history be expanded to include the entire scope of the African experience, but that it be incorporated year-round into the curriculum. One can only guess how much further along — socially, politically and economically — my generation would have been if we had only been exposed to the greatness of African cultural history at an early age. Sadly, 30 years after the fact, I am still angered by the “go back to Africa” comments now — not so much because of the ignorance of my white classmates, but because my own ignorance allowed me to take it as an insult. Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 or info@ nowarningshotsfired.com. The Intelligence over Ignorance “Take Back Black History” lecture tour begins in February. Analysis: Do Blacks Truly Want to Transcend Race? By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ January 29, 2010 Five little words — ”I forgot he was black” — have exposed a contradiction in the idea of a post-racial nation. The comment came from MSNBC host Chris Matthews after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech Wednesday. ”He is post-racial, by all appearances,” the liberal host said on the air. ”I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he’s gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it’s something we don’t even think about.” The staunch Obama supporter meant it as praise, but it caused a rapid furor, with many calling the quote a troubling sign that blackness is viewed — perhaps unconsciously — as a handicap that still needs to be overcome. Apparently, Matthews forgot to ask black people if they WANT to be de-raced. ”As a black American I want people to remember who I am and where I come from without attaching assumptions about deficiency to it,” said Dr. Imani Perry, a professor at Princeton’s Center for African American Studies. Although she thought Matthews was well-intentioned, she found his statement troubling, because ”it suggests that if he had remembered Obama’s blackness, that awareness would be a barrier to seeing him as a competent or able leader.” ”The ideal is to be able to see and acknowledge everything that person is, including the history that he or she comes from, as well as his or her competencies and qualities, and respect all of those things,” Perry said. That’s a very different vision of ”transcending race” — a consistent theme of Obama’s political history — than one in which race has disappeared altogether. ”It’s important for us to remember that everyone has a race,” Blair L.M. Kelley, an associate professor of history at North Carolina State University. ”When you say we’re going to transcend race, are white people called on to transcend their whiteness?” ”When (black people) transcend it, what do we become? Do we become white?” she asked. ”Why would we have to stop being our race in order to solve a problem?” Matthews didn’t get that far down the post-racial road on Wednesday night. But his comments instantly exploded online, especially on Twitter. Ninety minutes later, he clarified his comments on the air. ”I’m very proud I did it and I hope I said it the right way,” Matthews said, noting that he grew up in the racially fraught 1960s. ”I walked into the room tonight, you could feel (racial tension) wasn’t there tonight and that takes leadership on his part, to get us beyond those divisions, really national leadership,” Matthews said. ”I felt it wonderfully tonight, almost like an epiphany. I think he’s done something wonderful. I think he’s taken us beyond black and white in our politics.” Plenty of people supported Matthews on Thursday, saying his sentiments, although poorly worded, reflected the view that all Americans are now equal. But for many blacks, it was hard to forget the word ”forgot.” Kevin Jackson, a black conservative and author of ”The BIG Black Lie,” hews to the same philosophy as the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck — that people should be judged on their merits, not their color. Yet Jackson does not want his blackness to be forgotten. ”Absolutely not,” he said. ”Because we have an amazing history.” He pointed out that if Don Imus had made the same comment as Matthews, ”everybody on God’s green earth would be out to hang him by his you-know-what.” Sophia Nelson, a black attorney, former lobbyist and founder of PoliticalIntersection.com, which focuses on politics, race and gender, said she has been offended by people calling her articulate and intelligent: ”That’s saying that people who look like me normally aren’t those things.” She said Matthews’ comment showed the same unconscious bias as those by Vice President Joe Biden when he was still a senator that Obama was ”clean” and ”articulate,” and Sen. Harry Reid’s saying that Obama was more electable because he was light-skinned and lacking a ”Negro dialect.” ”Matthews was saying exactly what he meant,” Nelson said. ”He forgot he was black because he’s so articulate and so compelling.” Another common interpretation of Matthews’ comment was that if he forgot Obama was black during his speech, it must be part of his thinking the other 23 hours of the day. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, said Kelley, the North Carolina State professor. ”Obama is forcing people to see blackness,” she said, ”in a way they haven’t had to in the past.”
January 29, 2010 /Source: Xinhua He said that African heads of state and government as well as ministers and participants from Europe, Asia, South and North America will arrive here to take part in the session. More than 4,000 participants including international organizations and journalists will attend the meeting, he added. A national committee formed earlier to make the session successful has finalized preparation towards the same goal. Members of the committee led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are drawn from 28 offices. Abdetta said standard hotels and transportation facilities are readily available for the delegates. The 14th African AU Summit will be held in Addis Ababa from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. UN Security Council extends mandate of AU mission in Somalia January 29, 2010/Source: Xinhua The 15-member Council also authorized AMISOM to increase its force level up to 8,000 troops, and “to take all necessary measures to carry out its existing mandate.” The Council requested AMISOM to continue to assist the Transitional Federal Government in the development of the Somali Police Force and the National Security Force. It asked UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to continue to provide a logistical support package and technical and expert advice to the African Union in the planning and deployment of AMISOM. It also called on member states and regional and international organizations to contribute “generously and promptly” for AMISOM. AMISOM was established by the African Union in January 2007 and then authorized by the UN Security Council. It was mandated to support the Transitional Federal Government, implement a national security plan, train the Somali police and security forces and assist in humanitarian delivery. “AMISOM has continued to play a significant and commendable role in carrying out its mandate, despite serious challenges,” UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in his recent report to the Council. “Nevertheless, the mission continues to be constrained by a variety of pressures, especially with regard to force generation and the provision of equipment,” he said. The deployed strength of AMISOM currently remains at around six battalions, or 65 percent of its mandated strength, he said. The planned deployment of one additional battalion each from Uganda and Burundi, together with 400 troops from Djibouti, has been delayed by logistics constraints, the secretary-general added. Libyan leader seeking second term for AU presidency despite protests January 28, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who is currently the chairperson of the African Union (AU) is lobbying for renewal of his terms in defiance of an unpublished rule of geographical rotation among Africa’s five regions of this position, according to multiple news reports. The chairmanship is set to be delivered to Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutarika representing the southern African region. According to the BBC, the North African country of Tunisia has now floated a proposal before a heads of state summit next week suggesting that Gaddafi stay on. A Malawian diplomat told the BCC that his country would not give up its candidature without a fight. Mozambique’s deputy foreign minister said it was southern Africa’s turn to chair the organization and insisted the rules would be followed. “Personally I am confident that the candidature of Malawi is going to be endorsed by the whole African Union,” Eduardo Koloma told the BBC’s Network Africa programme. However, the AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping suggested that it is not against the charter to have Gaddafi reelected says rules governing the selection process are loosely defined. Ping quoted by Voice of America says the choice of who will take over the AU is solely up to the heads of state. “They make the rules, and if they want, they can modify them” he said adding that the principle of geographic rotation could be overturned. He further said that the rotation rule has been followed in the past, but whether it would be followed this time, he does not know. Western diplomats, whose countries finance one-third of the AU budget, say allowing the Libyan strongman to stay on as chairman would hurt the union’s effort to portray itself as a champion of democratic ideals. They say it may also force donors to reconsider their support. Several leaders of some major African nations are said to oppose Gaddafi’s bid while others take exception to pressure he exerts on his peers to adopt his proposals for the United States of Africa. Last year Botswanaian senior official accused the Libyan leader of “bullying” in forcing African states to accept his resolution barring member states of cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in apprehending Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who faces an arrest warrant for his alleged role in Darfur crimes. Gaddafi is believed to have won the backing of several of Africa’s weaker and poorer states, some of which have received Libyan financial aid. Diplomats and experts on AU procedures say Gaddafi would probably need the support of two-thirds of the heads of state attending the summit to retain the chairmanship. But based on past attendance, it is possible fewer than half of the body’s 53 heads of state will be present at Sunday’s closed-door session. Gaddafi’s three immediate predecessors as chairman had all been democratically elected heads of state, helping the continental body to rid itself of its old reputation as a club for dictators. (ST) AU chief concerned about situation in Madagascar January 29, 2010 /Source: Xinhua The AU chief made the remarks as he addressed the opening ceremony of the 16th ordinary session of AU’s executive council here in the Ethiopian capital, ahead of the 14th AU summit scheduled from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2. In the past months, some conflicts on the continent were moving towards resolution, but others remained deeply intractable, with no end in sight, he said. Jean Ping, who returned from a mediation trip in Madagascar earlier this month, said neither the adoption of the Transitional Charter nor the agreements of Maputo and the Additional Act of Addis Ababa were enough to end the political crisis in the country. During talks in Madagascar, he had called on political rivals in the world’s fourth largest island to respect and implement the power-sharing deals, and hold elections at a time that allows for the guarantee of their credibility and transparency. The AU chief welcomed the decision made by president of Madagascar’s High Transitional Authority (HTA) Andry Rajoelina to put off the general elections, which had been scheduled for March 20, 2010 but was rejected by his rivals as well as international mediators. Jean Ping said the AU were concerned that the parties refused to sign up to the settlement protocols, but were encouraged by the steps taken on the elections. Madagascar was plunged into a political crisis in December 2008, when the government led by then President Marc Ravalomanana shut down a TV station owned by Rajoelina, then mayor of Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo. After waves of political protests against the government, Ravalomanana handed over the presidential power to the military in March 2009. Rajoelina then assumed executive power from the military and declared himself president of the HTA, confronting international pressure and opposition. The unconstitutional change of government in the Indian Ocean Island was condemned by the European Union (EU), the United States and other international organization. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) suspended Madagascar’s membership, denouncing the change of government there as a coup. After negotiations brokered by international mediators, Rajoelina signed power-sharing agreements last August with the three other political camps in the country, respectively led by former presidents Ravalomanana, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy . However, Rajoelina tore up the agreements late last year. He cancelled the appointment of a consensus prime minister and replaced him with senior military officer Colonel Camille Vital. He also unilaterally announced the plan to hold elections in the country in March 20, 2010.
UN /ONU :
USA :
Sudanese in US Question Legitimacy of Elections in Sudan | Chicago Elections scheduled this April in Sudan represent the first time in a generation that people there will get a chance to choose government leaders. But Sudan’s road to democracy is riddled with accusations of corruption, voter intimidation and violence that could threaten to destabilize a fragile peace agreement between North and South Sudan. Sudanese living in the United States are closely watching developments in their country. Peter Bul fled a life of war and poverty in Southern Sudan to live in the United States. His new life in Chicago, hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama, gives him a perspective on what a democratic vote might mean to the people in his homeland. “You are talking about Southern Sudan. We have never had an election, so people are not aware about how this is going to happen, so a transparent election, to Southern Sudan, I think is going to be hard to implement,” he said. Former President Jimmy Carter shares Bul’s concerns. The non-profit Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia will monitor the upcoming elections. When asked if Sudan is ready for elections, Mr. Carter replied, “A lot of people are doubtful about it and we don’t have any assurances about it.” A former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Richard Williamson, certainly has his doubts. “You do not have the prerequisites for a credible election because there’s not freedom of the press or right to assembly,” he said. Pressure on Sudan from the United States and other countries led to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, or CPA, between the government in Khartoum and rebels in the south. Sudanese expatriate Malual Awak explains that in addition to the elections, the CPA calls for a referendum on Southern Sudan’s independence. “It spelled out clearly that after a six-year interim period, that Sudan would go into an election, both a parliamentary election and presidential election. Then in 2011, there would be a referendum for Southern Sudanese to decide whether they could be a part of a unified Sudan or they could become an independent entity,” he said. Elections this spring would pave the way for a vote on Southern Sudan’s independence, but many Sudanese are skeptical the country’s leader, President Omar al-Bashir, will allow the south to separate, if he remains president. President Bashir is at the center of international concerns over Sudan’s election legitimacy. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity related to the ongoing violence in Darfur. He has stood defiant against the indictment, and, says Ambassador Williamson, is looking at the upcoming elections as a way to stay in power. “One would suspect that President al-Bashir wants an election, hopes it overwhelmingly supports his re-election so he can try to reclaim some of the legitimacy he has lost,” he said. “I think the best way to address it regardless of the charges against al-Bashir or anything else, in Darfur and the rest of Sudan, is to allow them to have an honest and fair election and therefore bring peace,” said Mr. Carter. President Obama says the violence in Darfur amounts to genocide, and it has increasingly isolated President Bashir from the international community. The inability of foreign governments to influence the Sudanese government to stop the violence also has led to concerns about the manner in which President Bashir’s government will conduct the upcoming elections. “So the concerns are there’s a pattern of delay, denial, and refusing to live up to commitments. So if you have that history with the government in Khartoum, you obviously have serious questions,” said Williamson. Those serious questions linger in the mind of Peter Bul. “There’s insecurity now in all of Southern Sudan. There’s still war in Darfur in western Sudan, so how are you going to have elections anyway when all of these things are going on?,” he said. The election is currently scheduled for April 11. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement stipulates the elections were to be held no later than July 2009. The current date could further delay the planned January 2011 vote on the future of Southern Sudan. New vaccine fights mosquito-borne virus Los Angeles – — U.S. researchers have developed a prototype vaccine that protects monkeys and mice against the emerging chikungunya virus, a major step toward the production of a vaccine for humans. Human trials could begin later this year. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that first appeared on Reunion Island off the eastern coast of Africa in 2005 and has spread to more than 18 countries, infecting millions. It is characterized by rash, a high fever and its most distinctive characteristic, a severe arthritis that can persist for years. There are currently no effective treatments and no preventive measures for the virus, and health authorities fear it could cause a pandemic. Public health authorities fear that the virus will spread more widely because it has adapted to the Asian tiger mosquito, which survives in temperate climates and is widespread. Increases in global travel and climate change may also encourage its spread, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. To attack the problem, institute virologist Gary Nabel and his colleagues adapted technology that is already used in vaccines against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus. They produced a so-called virus-like particle that contains the outer protein shell of the virus – which allows it to be recognized by the immune system – but not the viral genetic information, preventing it from replicating. The team reported Thursday in the online version of the journal Nature Medicine that immunization of rhesus macaque monkeys with the particles provided full immunity when the animals were subsequently exposed to the live virus. Antibodies against the virus were then isolated from the monkeys and injected into immunodeficient mice. The antibodies protected the mice from a subsequent exposure to a normally lethal dose of the virus. In addition to human trials of the new vaccine, Nabel and his team plan to study whether a similar approach could be used to protect against the related western and eastern equine encephalitis viruses found in the United States and the o’nyong-nyong virus found in Africa. Art collector dies Paul R. Jones, 81, founder of the UA Jones Collection of American Art, passed away Tuesday due to illness in Atlanta, where he had lived for many years. Jones was raised in Bessemer, at the Muscoda Mining Camp of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company of U.S. Steel Corp. His parents were not wealthy, and he did not grow up around art, but he attributed the beginnings of his love of art to his family, especially his mother. “I grew up to appreciate art and beauty because of a loving family and my mother’s delightful flower garden, which she won prizes for every year,” Jones said in August 2008. “Working in the garden with her, I learned to appreciate bouquets, fresh flowers and colors.” As a child, Jones spent several years in New York, attending school there instead of his hometown – a plan his parents felt would help him avoid segregation. Jones has noted that visiting art museums in New York and seeing others’ passion for art helped “whet [his] appetite for art.” When Jones bought his first three pieces of art in the 1960s, he instantly knew that he wanted to collect art. After visiting several galleries, Jones noticed that the majority of them did not include pieces by Black artists, and he decided to start collecting pieces himself. “At the time, I didn’t think about devoting my life to collecting all African-American art, but I wanted to focus in that direction,” Jones said in August 2008. “I wanted to make sure that this art was not lost to the world.” Jones eventually collected nearly 2,000 pieces. Throughout the process of collecting, Jones always knew he wanted to amass enough art to donate to an institution. “I’ve always had a goal of accumulating enough art to give to an institution, to have it there for the art-loving public and for students and scholars… I didn’t want to keep it close to my chest. I wanted to share it. I’ve always wanted to see African-American art woven into the teaching of American art because I think that they are American artists who just happen to be of color,” Jones said in August 2008. In October 2008, Jones decided to fulfill his dream by donating nearly 1,700 pieces of his art collection to UA. Valued at almost $5 million, the collection includes works from more than 600 artists, including Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence and Benny Andrews. “The University of Alabama is pleased to be the permanent home of Mr. Jones’ dynamic and diverse collection of American art,” said UA President Robert E. Witt at the time of the donation. The donation of Jones’ collection made an enormous impact on the art community at UA. Cathy Pagani, chair of UA’s department of art, said Jones’ contribution has extended many opportunities for students, such as several new classes on African-American art history, as well as a lecture series where some of the artists featured in Jones’ collections came to speak on campus. “Most importantly, though, students and faculty have access to the actual works of art, not simply reproductions in books. This makes the study of art more tangible and more immediate,” Pagani said. Not only has Jones provided more opportunities for students interested in art and art history as he was, he also enjoyed working with students as well. Pagani said Mr. Jones collected several pieces of art done by undergraduate majors that are now part of the collection at UA. “Mr. Jones really enjoyed interacting with our students and they with him. As a result, they learned a lot about the art world from him,” Pagani said. Jones provides a good example for those seeking to pursue their dreams but who are concerned about the cost of doing so. Though he was never independently wealthy, he said he never thought twice about putting so much of his personal finances into his passion for art collecting, proving that commitment to something can overcome the cost of it. Not to mention, he also started small, buying local art, because it was “underrated” and “underpriced.” “I would buy a used car with a few miles on it rather than a new car. I’d save a few dollars and I’d invest that in art,” Jones said in August 2008. While Jones is most widely recognized for his art collecting, he also spent many years working to make significant changes for the people of America, specifically those affected by the civil rights efforts. After working several years as an executive of the Birmingham Interracial Committee of the Jefferson County Coordinating Council for Social Forces in an attempt to depressurize the 1960s civil rights movement, he then held a position at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Justice’s Community Relations Service for approximately Because of his work in social activism and with the civil rights movement, Jones received many awards, such as the first Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Outstanding Community Service Award, the James Van Der Zee Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, three Meritorious Awards from the Southern Conference of Black Mayors and an honorary degree from the University of Delaware. In 2006, UA granted him an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. He was also recognized in Art & Antiques magazine as “one of the top art collectors in the country.” Because of his major contributions to the University and the art community as a whole, the University is deeply saddened by the death of Jones, according to Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “It has been an honor and a privilege to be a friend to such a brilliant and distinguished gentleman,” Olin said in a statement released Wednesday. “We have lost a great leader but his legacy will last forever and he will be fondly remembered every time a pair of eyes looks at a piece in the Paul Jones Collection.” The Advisory Board of The University of Alabama’s Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art plans to present Jones’ family with a resolution honoring him, officials at the College of Arts and Sciences said. The collection and presentation of African-American art was undoubtedly important to Jones and that dedication will continue for years to come as the Jones Collection of American Art continues to provide students with an up-close and personal look at African-American art. Jones will not only be remembered for his passionate collecting and social activism, but for the impact he has made on the lives of art lovers everywhere and especially the students at UA. Cultural Resources offers events, services related to African American history year-round RALEIGH – African Americans have made rich and varied contributions to North Carolina history. The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com) provides opportunities to study and celebrate African American history all year, and offers outstanding ways to share that history in coming weeks. Get a jump-start on February’s Black History Month celebrations at the Jan. 30 African American Cultural Festival at the N.C. Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org) in Raleigh. More than 50 presenters from across the state will share their history and culture at the free program from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Legendary Bluesman Big Ron Hunter will perform, N.C. Association of Black Storytellers members will present, and historical dramas based on the life of colonial poet Phyllis Wheatley and the work of cabinet-maker Thomas Day will be shared. The N.C. State Historic Sites staff (www.nchistoricsites.org) will demonstrate African games and tips from Charlotte Hawkins Brown’s book “The Correct Thing to Say, Do, and Wear.” U.S. Colored Troops re-enactors will pitch tents. Many other activities are scheduled. A special presentation from architect Phil Freelon will review architectural planning for the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro and plans for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. The Museum of History will offer other African American History programs throughout February and will open a major Thomas Day furniture exhibit on May 22. A film about the often-forgotten history of the cultural and racial fusion of Native Americans and African Americans will be screened at Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic site in Mount Gilead on Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. “Black Indians: An American Story” is narrated by James Earl Jones. In Raleigh, authors and community leaders will celebrate their favorite authors in the “African American Read-In” at the State Capitol on Feb. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. Throughout February, visitors to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Memorial in Sedalia can see a free exhibit about African Americans on U.S postage stamps. The N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer has a permanent exhibit, “North Carolina Lining Bar Gangs,” in tribute to African American workers who laid the rails and were known as “gandy dancers” because their work was combined with rhythmic singing. “Liberty and Justice for All: Black Voices from the Past” is a play to be presented at Tryon Palace State Historic Site and Gardens on Feb. 18. Dr. Reginald Watson, an associate professor at East Carolina University, will introduce the play, which depicts various scenes from African American history. Tryon Palace also offers a walking tour highlighting the African American history of New Bern and a lecture series. The Tryon Palace Jonkonnu Troupe recreates the songs/dance/music of 19th-century slaves who came from the Caribbean and Africa to eastern North Carolina; the troupe has performed for school groups and for gubernatorial inaugurations. Among N.C. State Historic Sites that interpret African American history daily is Somerset Place in Creswell, once a plantation of more than 100,000 mainly-wooded acres. The site has representations of several slave community buildings and the Collins family home to tour. Historic Stagville in Durham also was among antebellum North Carolina’s largest plantations at 30,000 acres; it still features the Great Barn, a massive structure built by enslaved craftsmen. The Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum began in 1902 as the Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia and was a preparatory school for black youth that shaped many lives, thanks to founder Charlotte Hawkins Brown. Many events and accomplishments in North Carolina history are noted with an N. C. Historical Highway Marker, often called “History on a Stick.” A marker in Dare County for Richard Etheridge notes that he was the first African American to serve as commanding officer of the all-black Pea Island Life Saving Station, 1880-1900. In Edenton a marker salutes Harriet Jacobs, who hid in her grandmother’s attic for seven years before escaping to the North and becoming an abolitionist. A marker is in Chatham County for George Moses Horton, a slave who became the first black to publish a collection of poetry in 1829; he also authored the first book published by an African American in the South. Visit www.ncmarkers.com and enter African American History in the search line to see the complete list. The recently-published “A Day of Blood: The 1898 Wilmington Race Riot” is among the books about African American history available from the N.C. Historical Publications Branch of the Office of Archives and History. Through February the prices of all African American titles are reduced by 25 percent. Among other titles are “A History of African Americans in North Carolina,” “Recollections of My Slavery Days” and Black Experience in Revolutionary NC.” Now is a good time to trace family history, before the family reunion. In addition to the State Archives, the Genealogy Branch of the State Library of North Carolina has finding aids to help with research of family history all year. Visit the State Archives at http://www.archives.ncdcr.gov/default.htm or the State Library Genealogy Branch at http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/patrons/genealogists.html. The Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future.
CANADA :
Don Martin: Stephen Harper on the road to Damascus Full Comment, Don Martin, Canadian politics When she’s not slinging cocktails as Ottawa’s favorite bartender to MPs of all parties, parliamentary staff and the odd thirsty journalist, Julie McCarthy fundraises for a small African village. In the last four years, she’s raised $8,000 from an annual golf tournament and auction, enough to pipe clean water to 110 crowded houses in an dusty corner of rural Kenya. She exemplifies what Prime Minister Stephen Harper means when he insists a little money can deliver a big improvement to the wretched lives of women and children in Africa. With 500,000 women dying in pregnancy and nine million children perishing before their fifth birthday, Mr. Harper has vowed to lead a unified effort by G8 countries to deliver simple solutions, such as clean water, to the slow the easily-preventable carnage. The obvious temptation is to ooze cynicism, viewing Mr. Harper’s World Economic Forum speech on Thursday as a channel-changing epiphany for a prime minister suddenly sagging in the polls. It has all the elements of a desperate makeover, the policy equivalent of his blue sweater vest in the 2006 campaign or his Beatles singsong routine last fall. After all, to fend off opposition attacks of being a hard-nosed control freak, there’s nothing so motherhood as helping the downtrodden in Africa or as apple pie as vowing to end the suffering for women and kids. So Mr. Harper clearly has to back up his priority with more than words if he’s to be taken seriously. That means plenty of bucks to backfill what is, so far, empty rhetoric. Perhaps the missing detail is understandable. These are early days in Mr. Harper’s transformation from cold-hearted parliamentary tactician to global humanitarian giant. It’s been a very sudden conversion for a prime minister who just celebrated four years in power this week with nary an earlier mention of this plight as a political crusade. He did not raise humanitarian causes in Africa during his last campaign or in the Throne Speech. His government has, in fact, turned away from the continent as a foreign aid destination, lopping seven of its 14 countries off his government’s priority list, winding down its African fund in 2008 and closing an embassy in destitute Malawi. Success will, the prime minister noted, require a ‘unity of purpose’ by the developed nations, so it was curious that he apparently failed to flag his plan to G8 partners in advance. Barack Obama certainly appeared in the dark before his State of the Union address on Wednesday. The U.S. president vowed action on every conceivable file except restarting a global crusade against stricken women and children. In fact, President Obama left the distinct impression that exporting cash around the globe is at or near the bottom of his agenda. The other six G8 leaders have not exactly leapt to the cause with enthusiasm, although delegates did give Mr. Harper’s challenge the loudest applause during an address that was, it must be said, nicely crafted and solidly delivered. More confusing is why this won’t be an agenda item better suited to the larger and more influential G20 group of nations, which includes countries experienced at channeling aid for maximum benefit. Earlier Canadian precedents are not encouraging for this initiative. The last Canadian-hosted G8 in Alberta’s Kananaskis saw then-prime minister Jean Chretien promoting African assistance as his legacy project. He sought $64 billion from the summit’s partners and pledged Canada to a $6-billion contribution, a plan that fell far short of delivery. This prime minister’s ambitious plan is complicated by factors that didn’t exist when Mr. Chretien was in power. Canada has just declared devastated Haiti a 10-year assistance priority and Mr. Harper plans to unleash a massive developmental aid effort in Afghanistan after our troops pull out of combat duty next year. All that effort is played to the soundtrack of a deficit elimination project that will sheer billions of government spending off the bottom line. U2 singer Bono famously declared ‘the world needs more Canada’ before he soured on former prime minister Paul Martin’s potential as a world leader in humanitarian aid. Unless Mr. Harper wants that song to remain the same, Africa need more bucks. In the current wobbily economic environment, that means it needs a political miracle. Columbia Sportswear Q4 Profit Rise – Update (RTTNews) – Thursday, Columbia Sportswear Co. (COLM: News ) reported an increase in net income for the fourth quarter, attributable to an increase in sales and the absence of an impairment charge. Net income for the quarter increased to $23.08 million or $0.68 per share from $18.55 million or $0.55 per share in the year-ago period. On average, 13 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.39 per share. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items. Net sales increased to $358.31 million from $354.91 million in the year-ago period. Eleven Wall Street analysts estimated a revenue of $331.28 million for the fourth quarter. Geographic area-wise, sales in the United States increased by 5% to $215.5 million from $205 million a year-ago. Europe, Middle East and Africa sales declined by 23% to $46.2 million from $59.9 million a year-ago. Sales in Latin America & Asia Pacific increased by 16% to $72.9 million from $63.0 million a year-ago. Sales in Canada declined by 12% to $23.7 million from $27 million in the comparable period a year-ago. Cost of sales for the quarter increased to $207.63 million from $205.47 million a year-ago. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter increased to $126.67 million from $114.35 million a year-ago. There were no expenses towards the impairment of acquired intangible assets during the quarter, while an expense of $114.35 million was incurred towards the same year-ago. The expense towards net licensing income increased increased to $3.1 million from $2.0 million in the year-ago period. For the twelve months, the net income declined to $67.02 million or $1.97 per share from $95.04 million or $2.74 per share in the comparable period a year-ago. Year-to-date sales declined to $1.24 billion from $1.32 billion in the year-ago period. Street estimated earnings of $1.68 per share on a revenue of $1.22 billion. The company said that it expects first quarter net sales to increase approximately 4%-5%, including an estimated 4% points of foreign currency benefit. The board of directors approved a dividend of $0.18 per share, payable on March 4, 2010 to shareholders of record on February 18, 2010. COLM closed Thursday’s last trade at $40.47, down $1.41 or 3.37%. on a volume of 374 thousand shares on the Nasdaq. In the after hours, the stock traded down $0.46 or 1.14%. Haiti: Put a Stop to Blaming the Victim I empathize with the situation in Haiti. The loss of an estimated 200,000 people to an earthquake is one of the cruelest act nature can ever give to humanity. It is most cruel when one considers the fact that the availability of well planned infrastructure and effective governance system would have reduced the loss and damage. It is depressing to observe the international press blaming Haitians instead of probing the genesis of disorder in this Caribbean country. Haiti is the least developed country in the western hemisphere. An estimated 80% of its population lives below the poverty line. The country offers a classical example of how elites in developed economies conspire with elites in poor countries to disenfranchise the citizenry. It is on record that a North Atlantic Alliance that featured the French, the English, the Americans and the Dutch initially refused to recognize the independence of black Haiti in 1804. This alliance against Haiti’s independence manipulated both politics and economics, literally suffocating the newborn Haiti from interacting with the rest of the world. To gain acceptance in the global family, Haiti had to literally bribe France with an estimated $ 21 billion (then 150 million Francs). The bribe passed as debt to France. “Why are Haitians unable to come out of poverty?” an international journalist asked me, expecting my response to focus only on the negative effects of aid and the World Bank machination at the behest of the North Atlantic Alliance. Haitian elites working in collaboration with developed country elites financed by donor communities stole Haitian people’s abilities to take charge of their destiny. Haitians are unable to exit poverty because their country’s attempt to fit into a skewed global market system ignores the fundamentals – the people of Haiti. They, and as we here in Africa, have remained spectators in the global system. Our political, school and economic systems among others have not given us an opportunity to evolve a system unique to our situation. When buildings come crushing on the poor who migrated from their villages in search for false hope in the city – the press blames them. When fire guts settlements in Kibera slums, the elite are heard asking: “Why do they stay in such deplorable buildings anyway?” The Haiti debacle should serve as a wake up call for underdeveloped nations to probe existing systems even as they rush to take a seat on the bus of development. Let the spirit of over 200,000 Haitians who passed away due to the bad governance seed planted in 1804 re-energize the quest to have Haitians take charge of their destiny. I applaud the gesture extended by the Senegalese president, Abdoulaye Wade that has offered land to Haitians. I also applaud all other African nations and especially Jacob Zuma of South Africa that have committed to support Haiti at its greatest hour of need. Haiti does not need aid to develop. Haiti offers a clear example of the purpose of aid, it is not to help people develop; it benefits donor’s interests! It is important to distinguish between the typical World Bank aid of underdevelopment and emergency assistance in times of catastrophe. Putting people first in any given country offers a clear benchmark to determine the abuse behind development aid and even emergency assistance. It is time the elites in poor nations sought to evaluate the bigger picture and their country’s core interests. You and I have the responsibility to take charge of our destiny. James Shikwati james@irenkenya.org is Director, Inter Region Economic Network. Source: James Shikwati
AUSTRALIA :
UPDATE 1-Investec says 9-mth oper profit climbs 1 pct Jan 29 /Reuters * 9-month net operating income increased by 1 pct * Core loans and advances up 7 pct to 17.4 bln pounds * Shares down 2 pct (Adds details shares) JOHANNESBURG, Jan 29 (Reuters) – South African investment bank and asset manager Investec (INLJ.J) reported a one percent rise in nine-month net operating income on Friday and said it remained uncertain about the pace of an economic recovery. The country’s fifth-biggest bank by assets said core loans and advances climbed 7 percent to 17.4 billion pounds ($28.31 billion) for the nine months to end-December, while defaults and impairments increased in line with expectations. Shares in Investec, which fell more than 2 percent after it released the management statement, were trading 1.51 percent lower at 53.50 rand by 0715 GMT, behind a 0.97 percent weaker JSE Top-40 index .JTOPI. Like its peers, Investec has been hit by rising bad debts as customers struggle to pay back loans in difficult economic conditions. Investec, which is also listed in London (INVP.L), posted lower first-half profit in November, but said impairments at its units had probably peaked. The firm said on Friday business in its key geographies — Australia, Britain and South Africa — remained profitable and it had 7.4 billion pounds of cash and near cash available. ($1=.6147 Pound) (Reporting by Serena Chaudhry) Zimbabwe’s Former Ruling Party Digs in Demanding Lifting of Western Sanctions Sandra Nyaira/www1.voanews.com/ 29 January 2010 | Washington The United States, the European Union, Australia and others have long had in place travel and financial sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and hundreds of other top ZANU-PF officials and supporters. Such sanctions were imposed mainly in response to alleged human rights violations. Statements linking progress in talks on outstanding unity government issues have emanated from ZANU-PF before. But party spokesman Ephraim Masawi told the state-run Herald newspaper that the party’s politburo has now formally adopted this position in response to a statement last week by British foreign secretary David Miliband saying that he would consult the Movement for Democratic Change, among others, on lifting the sanctions. Masawi said this confirmed ZANU-PF’s charge that the former opposition party had a hand in setting the sanctions and therefore should be held responsible for removing them. The MDC has said it has no control in the matter of sanctions. Reached for confirmation of this information, Masawi refused to speak with a reporter from VOA’s Studio 7 news radio program for Zimbabwe. He told the pro-ZANU-PF Herald that the politburo had ordered negotiators for the party to “desist from making concessions … until the sanctions are removed and the pirate radio stations cease to pollute airwaves.” That latter point was a reference to Studio 7, London-based Shortwave Radio Africa, Voice of the People and other stations broadcasting from outside Zimbabwe. Spokesman Nelson Chamisa of the Movement for Democratic Change formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai dismissed the ZANU-PF threat, saying the party is using excuses to cling to power as it fades into oblivion. Speaking on behalf of Tsvangirai, Minister of State Gorden Moyo said it is not a question at this point of concessions, but of implementing what was agreed. Harare-based political analyst Rejoice Ngwenya told reporter Sandra Nyaira that ZANU-PF is running out the clock on a game it has already lost.
EUROPE :
EU: Keep Sanctions on Mugabe’s Inner Circle Zimbabwe’s Former Ruling Party is Blocking Critical Reforms (New York, January 29, 2010) – The European Union should maintain its travel restrictions and asset freezes on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle until Zimbabwe carries out the concrete human rights reforms set out in the 2008 Global Political Agreement, Human Rights Watch said today. The EU is currently reviewing its sanctions policy toward Zimbabwe. The Agreement, which established a power-sharing government, was implemented in February 2009 by Mugabe’s party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and the then-opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Morgan Tsvangirai. It contained specific measures to promote freedom of speech and the rule of law, end politically motivated violence, and apply laws of the country fully and impartially in bringing to justice all perpetrators of politically motivated violence. But the repression has continued, and the perpetrators are not being held to account for their actions. “ZANU-PF has continued committing grave human rights abuses and acting as if the agreement had never been signed,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The European Union runs the risk of reinforcing ongoing repression and impunity in Zimbabwe if it eases the sanctions now.” In September, the European Union sent a delegation to Zimbabwe to assess the implementation of the Agreement. The delegation found that the inclusive government had failed to meet the benchmarks the EU had established for resuming development cooperation with Zimbabwe and lifting targeted travel and financial restrictions on senior ZANU-PF members. The Swedish minister for international development, Gunilla Carlsson, who was part of the EU delegation, said then that targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe would not be lifted until human rights abuses ended. Human Rights Watch’s ongoing research and analysis in Zimbabwe show that the human rights situation there remains virtually the same as during the EU delegation’s visit. As Human Rights Watch said in an August report on Zimbabwe’s new power-sharing government, state agents affiliated with ZANU-PF continue to abduct and kill MDC activists without punishment and to arrest its legislators on spurious charges. Zimbabwe’s oppressive media laws remain unchanged. Illegal invasions of commercial farms, frequently led by military personnel allied with ZANU-PF, are continuing; and there has been no meaningful progress in instituting promised human rights reforms or in demonstrating respect for the rule of law. Some government-owned companies subject to EU sanctions, like Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), are also actively involved in mining diamonds in eastern Zimbabwe, where Human Rights Watch has uncovered rampant abuses by the armed forces, including forced labor, child labor, killings, beatings, smuggling, and corruption. These abuses continue and justify the need to maintain pressure on ZANU-PF to honor its signed commitment to reform, Human Rights Watch said. The European Union in 2002 began imposing travel restrictions and asset freezes on Mugabe and about 200 senior ZANU-PF officials, as well as on some state-owned companies with close ties to the party. The first round of sanctions followed Mugabe’s controversial re-election that year, a breakdown of the rule of law, systemic human rights violations, and chaotic and often violent land seizures. “Some in Europe might believe that making concessions is the way to get ZANU-PF to moderate its behavior, but ZANU-PF has shown that it would only take this as a sign of weakness and dig in its heels even further,” Gagnon said. “The European Union should insist before it takes any action that ZANU-PF makes the concrete and irreversible improvements in human rights and the rule of law that it agreed to.”
CHINA :
China to help fight Somali piracy China has agreed to join an international naval force to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. For at least a year, China has been focussing on protecting its own shipping in the area. It will now join a coalition of naval forces from the United States, NATO and the European Union. Meanwhile, heavy fighting has been reported in the Somalia capital Mogadishu between Islamist insurgents and soldiers of the African Union’s peacekeeping force in the country. Artillery exchanges and automatic weapons fire have been heard; but there are no reports of casualties. The fighting is said to be concentrated around a strategic road junction between the city’s airport and its sea port. Copenhagen’s moment of truth On Sunday, we will learn if world leaders meant what they said when they agreed last month to act collectively to stabilize Earth’s overheating climate. Having failed to complete a legally binding agreement at the chaotic Copenhagen summit, world leaders instead endorsed what they said would be a “politically binding” agreement — the Copenhagen accord — that calls on countries to submit national targets and action plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plans are due by Sunday, and without them, the accord is a hollow symbol. Defections by major developed or developing countries would doom, in its infancy, the three-page political agreement cobbled together in the Danish capital. The accord is far from perfect. It will not in itself rescue humankind from dangerous and unpredictable levels of warming. But it provides a solid platform to do so, and the way it came about suggests a new model for global leadership, one that broke through the stalemated U.N. climate negotiations of recent years. The deal was struck in face-to-face negotiations between President Obama and the leaders of four emerging world giants: China, India, Brazil and South Africa. Disagreements between the four developing nations and the U.S. had deadlocked negotiations among a larger group of leaders from 27 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The compromise hammered out by the five leaders was ultimately accepted by almost 190 nations after a marathon all-night session. Only a small group of countries — including Sudan, Cuba, Tuvalu, Bolivia, and Venezuela — opposed the agreement. The accord included three elements essential to reversing the dangerous buildup of global warming pollution in the atmosphere. First, the group set a long-term goal of holding the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Centigrade, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (so far, temperatures have risen about 0.8 degrees Centigrade, or 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Second, all big emitters — not just the developed countries of the north — agreed to control global warming pollution in their countries. Third, the countries in the accord agreed to regular reporting and review of progress on their commitments. The “Copenhagen Five” — the group of leaders whose compromise made the accord possible — is very different than the small group of wealthy northern nations that have steered global economic policy since World War II. Only the U.S. is part of both groups. Collectively, the five represent 45% of the world’s population and 44% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Whether the “politically binding” accord is ultimately workable will depend on a variety of factors. It will require political will among a broader group of nations. Yes, it depends on China, India, Brazil and South Africa. But it also depends on the nations of the European Union, traditional leaders on climate action, to provide leadership in implementing the accord. It will require nations to stand by their Copenhagen pledges. (The U.S. pledge, delivered in person by Obama, is for a 17% cut in domestic emissions from 2005 levels by 2020.) And it will need countries such as Japan, Australia and Indonesia to follow through and register their commitments. Which brings us back to Sunday’s all-important deadline. As I write this, the signs are encouraging that the great majority of nations — including those that matter most — will “associate” themselves with the accord, as required, and register pledges. Two of the Copenhagen Five — Brazil and South Africa — are already signatories. The United States is expected to register its plan before the deadline, reiterating its Copenhagen pledge. And China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, and India have said publicly they will sign up and make commitments. Given that, less than a year ago, these same countries were vociferously arguing that the industrialized world must bear the entire emissions-reduction burden, this is grounds for optimism. China, in particular, has strongly signaled that it intends to green its massive, polluting economy. Last month, with the dust barely settled on the Copenhagen summit, it adopted new measures requiring electric utilities to purchase wind and solar energy. In addition, the European Union has signaled that it will stand by the accord, and Australia, Canada and South Korea have already “associated” themselves. The biggest single question hanging over the fate of both the Copenhagen accord and ongoing United Nations climate negotiations is whether the U.S. will take the steps required to reduce pollution and join the fierce global competition to sell tomorrow’s low-carbon technologies. The willingness of China, India, Brazil and South Africa to break with the past and commit to controlling emissions signals not only a concern with the effects of global warming on their populations, but a realization that they need to adopt clean-energy policies to compete. They have come to see low-carbon development not as a threat but an opportunity. In the wake of the Massachusetts Senate election, however, it is not so clear how the U.S. will proceed. Though the House has passed a comprehensive clean-energy and climate-protection bill, Senate leaders are struggling to find 60 votes for effective legislation. A bipartisan group is working to craft compromise legislation emphasizing energy security and jobs. Such an approach — laying out a road map for green jobs, energy security and pollution reduction — makes sense for the U.S. economy and would give life to the Copenhagen accord. The mood in Washington is grim and partisan, but I firmly believe that Congress can rise to the challenge of effective climate legislation. A solid majority of Americans continues to support clean energy and reducing global warming pollution. I hope their views prevail. Jonathan Lash is president of the World Resources Institute in Washington. www.wri.org
INDIA :
Lost Gandhi ashes to be scattered at sea in S.Africa JOHANNESBURG — Some of the last of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes, kept in secret for decades by a family friend, will be scattered at sea off South Africa’s coast on Saturday, 62 years after his assassination, his family said. After a radical nationalist shot Gandhi on January 30, 1948, he was cremated according to Hindu custom. Normally, ashes are immersed in rivers or the sea within days, but for Gandhi, his remains were divided to many urns and sent around India and across the globe so his followers could hold memorials. One urn came to South Africa, where Gandhi had come to practise law in 1893, living in the country on and off for 21 years. A family friend, Vilas Mehta, helped with the arrangements for the prayers, and the ashes were immersed after 10 days, according to the Gandhi Development Trust in Durban. Unbeknownst to the family, Mehta kept a few remnants of the ashes, and guarded them in secret for the rest of her life, the Trust said. She “decided to take a little bit of the ashes and keep it in safekeeping as a memento of that occasion, not realizing that it is our custom to immerse them,” said Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of India’s liberation hero, who lives in South Africa. “When she passed on, her daughter-in-law decided to give them to the family,” said Gandhi, a former South African parliamentarian. Until recently, Gandhi’s family had no idea that any of the remains were still in Africa. But because so many urns were sent around the world in 1948, no one knows if any others are left. The last immersion ceremony for Gandhi was two years ago in Mumbai. Those remains had been kept for decades by an estranged son before being donated to a museum, which had wanted to display them. At the family’s request, they were spread in the Arabian Sea. Another urn was discovered in an Indian bank vault in 1997. Those remains were scattered in a river. “Since it’s 62 years now, we can’t do the complete ceremony that already took place in 1948,” Ela Gandhi told AFP. “But in terms of the Hindu custom and family custom, we would pray throughout the night, from 4:00 pm tomorrow (1400 GMT Friday) until 4:00 am on Saturday morning,” she said. “We’ll take a little boat and go out into the ocean, and at sunrise, just as soon as the sun rises, the ashes will blow into the sea.” The Trust said the prayers would begin with a two-hour inter-denomination service at the Phoenix Settlement, a community that Gandhi established north of Durban. Afterwards the mourners would fast and hold a vigil through the night, then proceed to the harbour where they would take a boat to scatter the ashes in the Indian Ocean. At 1200 GMT Saturday, the family will hold a memorial service in Durban, where India’s consul general in Durban and South African political leaders are expected to speak. Gandhi’s experience with racial prejudice in South Africa was his political awakening, sparking a lifelong fight against injustice and oppression through “passive resistance”, which culminated in India’s 1947 freedom from British rule. South African anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela, were inspired by Gandhi’s call to stage peaceful protests and flood the jails. Mandela later felt forced to turn to an armed struggle against white rule, helping bring about the demise of apartheid in 1994, but Gandhi’s philosophy is credited with inspiring civil rights movements here and in other countries. Ban asbestos exports, scientists urge Charest .Scientists from 28 countries are calling on Jean Charest to ban the use and export of all forms of asbestos, placing the Quebec Premier in an embarrassing position on the eve of his trade mission to India, the biggest importer of the province’s asbestos. The 100 scientists suggest in a letter to the Premier that the province is practising a double standard by using virtually none of the asbestos it mines because the substance can cause deadly diseases, yet promoting its use and export to developing countries “where protections are few and awareness of the hazards of asbestos almost non-existent.” “This seems to represent a high level of hypocrisy,” the scientists say in the letter, asserting that the Charest government is working with the asbestos industry in India to silence scientists who have spoken out about asbestos-related health problems. “We are extremely disturbed that the asbestos industry in India – Quebec’s No. 1 asbestos customer, with whom the Quebec industry works closely – has recently sent letters to a number of scientists in India saying that legal action will be taken against them if they do not retract their statements and published articles concerning the threat to health posed by chrysotile asbestos,” the letter says. The campaign is being promoted by the Environmental Health Trust and the Cancer Association of South Africa. A spokeswoman for the group, Kathleen Ruff, said “labour groups and others are planning to challenge Mr. Charest” during next week’s trade mission to India. “We appeal to you, as you are about to leave on a trade mission to India, to show the integrity and honour that the world expects of Quebec,” the scientists urged Mr. Charest in their letter. The founder of the Environmental Health Trust, Devra Davis, and the executive director of the Cancer Association of South Africa, Sue Janse van Rensburg, noted that exposure to asbestos is one of the top causes of work-related deaths in Quebec. “Figures for 2009 from the Quebec Workers’ Compensation Board show 60 per cent of occupational deaths were caused by asbestos,” the authors said on behalf of the scientists. Dr. Davis and Ms. Janse van Rensburg said that, based on scientific studies conducted mainly in the 50 countries that have banned chrysotile asbestos, there is no safe exposure level, and that even the Quebec government has zero tolerance for exposure to asbestos for workers in the province. “We find it shocking that the exposure level you endorse for people overseas is 10 times higher than the level permitted by all other provinces in Canada, by the U.S., by the European Union and by other Western industrialized countries,” the letter to Mr. Charest noted. “We call on you to show equal concern for the lives of workers in the developing world.” In a report last month on airborne asbestos fibres in the Quebec mining community of Thetford Mines, the Quebec Public Health Institute warned that even living near an asbestos mine could be hazardous but was unable to determine the cancer risk. The scientists urged the Premier to help Thetford Mines diversify its economy and create new work for the 340 asbestos miners in the community.
BRASIL:
Chevron Joins Petrobras in US$ 5 Billion Brazil Off-Shore Project Chevron Corporation announced its decision of investing in the development of a project in the Papa Terra field, at the Campos Basin. This is the multinational company’s second offshore development project in Brazil. The Papa Terra field, located 110 kilometers off the coast at a depth of 1,190 meters, is operated by Petrobras, but Chevron owns a 37.5% stake in it. The project’s total estimated cost is US$ 5.2 billion and the expected return is 380 million barrels of oil. This will be the first project in Brazil to use a floating cable-tensioned platform, which will be linked to a floating production, processing, storage and offloading platform. The complex will be capable of producing up to 140,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The cost of each platform is US$ 1 billion. “The decision attests to our commitment to developing new opportunities in an important field, and expands our strong portfolio of large projects,” said George Kirkland, Chevron’s vice president, in a press release issued by the company. Extraction at the Papa Terra field is expected to start in 2013. “Once completed, the Papa Terra project is going to be Chevron’s largest investment in Brazil to date, and we expect it to increase production capacity in Brazil, where the company established itself in 2009 with the Frade project,” said Ali Moshiri, the president of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production. In addition to the Papa Terra and Frade projects, in the Campos Basin, Chevron also owns stakes of 30% in the Maromba field and 20% in the BS-4 block at the Santos Basin.
EN BREF, CE 29 janvier 2010… AGNEWS / OMAR, BXL,29/01/2010 |
BURUNDI – AFRICA / INTERNATIONAL : 29 JANVIER 2010 [UN Security Council extends mandate of AU mission in Somalia]
