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BURUNDI :
RWANDA
UGANDA
TANZANIA:
CONGO RDC :
The UN mission in Congo has not signed a ‘pact with the devil’ We simply don’t have the authority to deliver ‘The Terminator’ to the international criminal court Alan Doss /The Guardian/Wednesday 24 February 2010 Your report on conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) seems to assume that when peacekeepers are invited into a troubled country, all shortcomings and responsibilities for law and order default to the United Nations (‘The Terminator’ lives in luxury while peacekeepers look on, 6 February). They do not. Governments remain responsible for their security forces, civilian protection and the integrity of borders, natural resources and public institutions. We assist the DRC in many of these areas, but we cannot impose our will on the government. Having sighted Bosco Ntaganda – a rebel leader wanted by the international criminal court – on a tennis court in Goma, you state that Bosco “not only remains at liberty, but serves as a general in an army that has the full backing of the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Congo”. The support which our mission, Monuc, gives to the national army is unrelated to Bosco’s freedom. It is unfair to colour Monuc’s assistance to the army, which is mandated by the UN security council, as a “pact with the devil”. We have stated many times that if the Congolese authorities ask Monuc to help deliver Ntaganda to the international criminal court, we will do so. But President Kabila has chosen to set aside action against Bosco for now. While many might wish otherwise, UN peacekeepers in the DRC have no more jurisdiction to pluck someone from a tennis court in Goma than they would have in Wimbledon. Yes, Monuc “is the world’s largest peacekeeping operation”; but an annual budget of $1.3bn should not be mistaken for a magic wand that will solve all the country’s problems. We have 18,000 peacekeepers. Tiny Kosovo had 40,000 Nato troops, and air support that our peacekeepers can only dream about. We have concentrated more than 95% of our troops in the eastern provinces which cover an area almost three times the size of France. The terrain is heavily forested. There are few roads and communities are isolated. Because of these conditions quick access is not always possible when reports of violence reach us. Your headline suggests we are standing on the sidelines. We are not. Our peacekeepers patrol from more than 90 bases and protect humanitarian convoys supplying about 1.2 million people. In North Kivu they conduct about 1,800 day and night patrols, on foot or in vehicles, every month. However, with one peacekeeper for every 110,000 people, we cannot be everywhere at all times. Your report is wrong in stating that President Kabila has “called on Monuc to leave in time for the 50th anniversary of the country’s independence”, on 30 June. President Kabila and the security council have asked for a plan for Monuc’s gradual drawdown and eventual withdrawal, but the council has also flagged its intention to renew the peacekeeping mandate for another year. We are working with the Congolese to frame proposals for a drawdown to take place without jeopardising stability. KENYA :
Anthony Joseph Tracy, 35, was arrested earlier this month, after admitting to U.S. authorities that he helped about 272 citizens of war-torn Somalia come to the United States illegally, according to documents filed in federal court. Tracy allegedly set up a business in Kenya, Noor Services Limited, that procured fraudulent Cuban travel visas for Somalis, who would then travel from Kenya to Cuba and, ultimately, to the United States, according to court documents. He allegedly traveled to Kenya in April 2009 to establish the business, and in the months afterward obtained fraudulent visas for as many as ten Somalis each week, court documents say. He allegedly charged between $100 and $1,000 for the fake documents. During that same time in Kenya, he told U.S. authorities during a polygraph test earlier this month, an al Qaeda-linked group from Somalia, known as al-Shabaab, approached him for assistance. But, he insisted, he “refused to help them,” according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Nevertheless, three weeks before the polygraph test, on Jan. 15, he sent an email to an unnamed Somali citizen saying, “I will be back in Kenya at the end of February, so contact me then and I will assist you inshallah. I helped a lot of Somalis and most are good but there are some who are bad and I leave them to Allah,” according to court documents. Tracy returned to the United States three days after sending that email, and he was interviewed by FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials upon arrival at JFK International Airport in New York. It’s unclear what happened in the month afterward, leading up to his arrest on Feb. 5. A public defender appointed for Tracy noted in court documents that while his client allegedly helped obtain fraudulent documents for Somalis, the government does not allege anything more. “The government has failed to allege that Mr. Tracy assisted the Somalis to leave Cuba or ever spoke about travel to the United States with any of the Somalis whom he allegedly helped to obtain Cuban travel documents,” Assistant Public Defender Geremy Kamens said. Tracy converted to Islam while in prison in the 1990s. He first traveled outside the United States in 2008, but information about where and why he traveled at the time is currently “classified,” according to court documents. Through the social networking site Facebook, authorities have located at least five Somali men and women that, allegedly with Tracy’s help, entered the United States illegally. Those men and women are now living in New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Washington and Arizona, according to court documents. Al-Shabaab, which has been fighting to establish an Islamic state in anarchy-stricken Somalia, has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. “Al-Shabaab has reportedly declared war on the United Nations and on Western non-governmental organizations,” documents filed in Tracy’s case note. “In early 2010, al-Shabaab declared its alliance with al-Qaeda.” Tracy is currently being held without bond, accused by federal prosecutors of being a public threat and a flight risk. But Kamens, Tracy’s attorney, described his client in court documents as a U.S. citizen, a husband and father, and a “businessman who established a lawful travel business in Kenya.” For more than a year, the FBI has been investigating how more than 20 young Somali-Americans from the Minneapolis area and elsewhere were recruited to train and fight alongside al-Shabaab in Somalia. That investigation has resulted in terrorism-related charges against at least 14 men, and many of those defendants have already pleaded guilty to the charges. All this comes five months after FOX News reported exclusively that, despite public pronouncements saying al-Shabaab did not want to strike inside the United States, law enforcement officials were privately concerned al-Shabaab fighters could be smuggled into the United States to launch attacks. “It’s certainly something that quite plainly is definitely on the radar,” one official with U.S. Customs and Border Protection told FOX News at the time. “We’re alert to that and doing our part to make sure that we address that threat.” In fact, FOX News learned that in February last year, CBP sent an alert — or “issue paper” — about Somalia and al-Shabaab to offices across the country. “It is feared that U.S. citizens and residents are being called to action in Somalia, as well as to support the illegal migration of Somalis to the United States,” said one sentence in the alert, as relayed to FOX News. However, the CBP alert noted, the vast majority — if not all — of Somalis who have entered the country illegally have no intention of harming the United States. “The continued deterioration of living conditions in Somalia is expected to sustain the illegal migration of Somalis to the United States,” the alert said, as relayed to FOX News. “The bleak future of Somalia has caused and will continue to cause refugees to seek a more sustainable existence, which includes risking thousands of dollars and their lives to be smuggled to the United States.”
Citadel Capital’s stormy entrance to East Africa culminated this week with the official announcement that the Egyptian private equity firm has acquired a 49% stake in Sheltam, the largest shareholder in the embattled Rift Valley Railways (RVR) concession. Rumors have been swirling since January about a faceoff between Citadel and the powerful Kenyan private equity firm TransCentury, which holds a 20% stake in RVR. Citadel has made it clear that it ultimately hopes to buyout Sheltam and take substantial control of the rail. After a few weeks of wrangling and despite intense lobbying by TransCentury, it looks like Citadel might just get its way. And the firm says just as soon as it can get the RVR mess under wraps, it will move forward on plans to sink between USD200m and USD400m in East Africa by 2012. But the grand entry has stirred up plenty of questions: What exactly are Citadel’s motives and interests in East Africa? And what are the chances that this big brother from the north, for all its cash and bravado, can achieve success? Up the Nile This has been especially irksome to landlocked Uganda: President Yoweri Museveni is keen to see his rail connection to the coast improved quickly. High transport costs have long been a concern for Uganda’s exporters and its consumers, but the railway may also be the best way to get cash returns from oil production flowing in the short term. The Ugandan government has been at odds with its principal oil exploration firm, Tullow Oil, about whether to build a large local refinery or ship most of the oil out for export. But either way, a refinery would take at least five years to build. And the waxy quality of Lake Albert’s crude makes a pipeline option difficult, as does the USD2bn price tag. Trucking out 150,000 barrels a day – Tullow’s production target within the next three years – is simply unfeasible. So then there’s the rail, suddenly looking more important than ever. Citadel Managing Director Karim Sadek says that for Uganda, “it is irrelevant who controls the railway, as long as that entity controls a functioning railway.” It was Uganda that supported bringing Citadel and its USD150m on board to whip RVR into shape. For Citadel, the investment makes a lot of sense. The firm has a history of investment in transport and logistics coming straight up the Nile from Cairo to Khartoum and now into southern Sudan and Uganda. And Citadel likes to chase assets that can capture large markets: river barges, ports, power grids, and railways. Nothing too avant-garde like real estate or IT. “Most of what’s driving us,” Sadek says, “is the recognition that if you deal with basics, you have a bigger market.” If Citadel controls RVR, it can capture growing markets in the eastern DRC, Southern Sudan and the East African Community (EAC) of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania – far over hundred million consumers in one go. The rail could also serve as a lynchpin for Citadel to drive regional investments in agribusiness. Other private equity players here say sure, RVR is a great investment – if you can make it work. But the concession itself remains mired in complexities. And Citadel must find a way to diffuse the animosity it has inspired amongst its Kenyan partners. Still, the firm seems undeterred. Sadek simply says casually, “We do difficult things.” Sudan, North and South Sadek is frank about the risks. “We are definitely worried about 2011,” he says. The referendum itself will likely incite violence, and more trouble could come from inter-tribal disputes once the south’s common enemy is somewhat removed. This poses a “huge risk” that has forced Citadel to minimize the percentage of its portfolio dedicated to south Sudan. Another “major hurdle” is the lack of transport into and out of the region. Citadel has invested in river shipping along the Nile, but there are limitations to this. It is entirely unclear when or if a new railway and port will be built to connect south Sudan to the Kenyan coast at Lamu. Land security could also become a problem. Sadek says Citadel has made a deal with the local state government and tribal leaders. Still, land tenure in the south’s shifting environment is notorious for being anything but certain. Ambitious East Africa Plans Also slowing things down for upstream oil and gas and waste management is that the firm has most of its capacity tied up in other projects. Citadel has a fairly unique structure as part private equity fund, part investment company. It doles out cash through 18 opportunity specific funds that each control a sector-specific platform company that in turn makes acquisitions and oversees a portfolio of investments. This makes Citadel more flexible than many other funds operating in Africa. But the only new platform that has been created so far for investments in East Africa is the one pursuing RVR, “Africa Railways”. Several of the other existing platforms will need to clear their slates a bit before shifting resources into the region. Sadek hopes to move into natural gas in Tanzania the second half of this year. Citadel is already actively pursuing agribusiness investments in Ethiopia through its platform company Gozour. Gozour announced this month that it wants to start contract farming raw materials for use in its food processing factories in Egypt and distribution to Egyptian and eastern African markets. Gozuo This could drag Citadel into a few more sticky areas: Acquiring large plots of land for farming anywhere in East Africa will be difficult given the region’s dysfunctional land legislation and volatile feelings on the topic. Attempting to ship any food off to far-flung destinations may also rouse trouble. Recent attempts by a number of foreign investors to farm for export in Africa have triggered strident allegations of neo-colonial land grabbing. Sadek dismisses this as an “academic concern”, saying “there should definitely be a priority for that produce to be sold on the local market, if there is a paying market for it”, and that ultimately these are decisions for the government to make. But local opposition in Kenya – where millions of people are starving – has already derailed a deal struck by the government to grant farmland in the Tana River Valley to Qatar. We’re not exactly Europeans Kenya is just like Egypt was in the 1990s, Sadek posits: Old Egyptian families then acted much like TransCentury does now, considering the ownership of a thing more important than its value. But those business families finally realised that “the value of cash is much bigger than the value of assets”. The idea being: give it enough time, toss enough money in, and people will come around. Egyptians are experienced in this and plenty of other messy things. “Nothing that we’ve seen so far in this region comes as a surprise to us,” Sadek says. “We’re not exactly Europeans.” Perspectives Tuninvest, another North African private equity firm, has managed to successfully reposition itself as a pan-African fund by cultivating connections throughout the continent. Increasing attention from big MENA investors is welcome as a way to inject much-needed capital and project development expertise into growing sub-Saharan markets. Other infrastructure investors say they welcome the healthy competition and potential for partnerships. Big projects like the Turkana Wind farm in Kenya require funding from a variety of sources to go forward, and opportunities for deals of this size are sure to increase with further EAC integration. Citadel is also exposing its private investors to money-making potential outside the MENA region. These big spenders have already come in at the holding level for opportunity specific funds, which are now diversifying into eastern Africa. Citadel expects to see similar rates of return, possibly even higher to account for increased risk. And the firm is working with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the African Development Bank (AFDB) to raise a USD150m standing co-investment fund for Africa. For every USD1 that Citadel spends on certain deals, the fund will match it with USD2. More outside interest, cash, and investor cooperation will help spur already strong growth in eastern Africa. But whether Citadel will succeed in smoothing over rivalries and cementing itself as a truly African investor remains to be seen. ANGOLA :
MORE THAN 700,000 PETS IN ANGOLA TO BE VACCINATED AGAINST RABIES news.brunei.fm/2010/02/24 LUANDA, Feb 24 (NNN-ANGOP) — More than 700,000 pets in Angola will be vaccinated against rabies during the current vaccination campaign which was launched last Friday. Speaking at the end of an inter-ministerial meeting which assessed the epidemiological surveillance of the A (H1N1) infleunza and the rabies situation in Angola here Tuesday, Health Minister José Van-dunem urged pet owners to vaccinate their dogs, cats and monkeys against the disease. According to the minister, Luanda is the province most affected by rabies with nine cases since January, follwed by Huambo province (four cases), Bie (three), Kwanza Norte (two) and Benguela (one). He also disclosed that Angolan health officials had found no new trace of the A (H1N1) flu following the laboratory screeing and epidemiological surveillance of 25 suspected cases of the disease from Jan 16 to 23. The situation had not changed since the previous weeks with 37 confirmed cases out of the 425 screened but despite the stable condition, training action would still proceed along Angola’s borders, he said, adding that most of the 165 screened passengers flew in from Portugal and South Africa. — NNN-ANGOP SOUTH AFRICA:
Afgri, Discovery, Imperial: South African Equity Market Preview Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) — The following stocks may rise or fall in South Africa. Symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the last close. The FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index fell 228.66, or 0.8 percent, to 27,055.50 in Johannesburg. Afgri Ltd. (AFR SJ): The farm-products services company said net income rose to 156 million rand ($20 million) in the six months ended Dec. 31 from 126 million rand a year earlier. The shares dropped 5 cents, or 0.9 percent, to 5.85 rand. Blue Label Telecoms Ltd. (BLU SJ): The South African reseller of phone services said net income fell to 176.9 million rand in the six months ended Dec. 31 from 198.2 million rand a year earlier. Blue Label declined 10 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 4.50 rand. Discovery Holdings Ltd. (DSY SJ): The administrator of South Africa’s biggest medical insurer releases fiscal first- half earnings. The shares advanced 1 rand, or 3.1 percent, to 33.30 rand. Growthpoint Properties Ltd. (GRT SJ): South Africa’s largest real-estate investment company releases fiscal first-half earnings. The shares gained 15 cents, or 1.1 percent, to 14.20 rand. Imperial Holdings Ltd. (IPL SJ): The owner of South Africa’s largest chain of auto dealerships said net income decreased to 1 billion rand for the six months ended Dec. 31 from 1.16 billion rand a year earlier. The shares declined 65 cents, or 0.7 percent, to 92.15 rand. Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd. (MUR SJ): South Africa’s second-largest construction and engineering company by market value releases fiscal first-half earnings. The shares dropped 31 cents, or 0.8 percent, to 39.89 rand. Transpaco Ltd. (TPC SJ): The paper and packaging holding company said profit after tax for the six months ended Dec. 31 rose to 35.1 million rand from 29.5 million rand in the year earlier period. Transpaco was unchanged at 9 rand. Shares or American depositary receipts of the following South African companies closed as follows: Anglo American Plc (AAUK US) fell 3.6 percent to $18.29. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. (AU US) dropped 2.9 percent to $34.85. BHP Billiton Ltd. (BBL US) lost 2.5 percent to $61.22. DRDGold Ltd. (DROOY US) retreated 5.9 percent to $5.89. Gold Fields Ltd. (GFI US) retreated 4.6 percent to $11.16. Harmony Gold Mining Co. (HMY US) slipped 3.8 percent to $8.79. Impala Platinum Holdings (IMPUY US) dropped 4.4 percent to $23.90. Sappi Ltd. (SPP US) fell 5.5 percent to $3.77. Sasol Ltd. (SSL US) shed 5.5 percent to $36.23. –Editors: Vernon Wessels, Alastair Reed.
CNN) — The champions at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver can stand on the podium proud of their achievements, but the eco-minded among them can be extra proud that their medals are made with traces of precious metals recovered from e-waste. The amounts may be tiny (just 1.52 percent in the gold medals) but they provide a shiny example of how precious metals recovered from disused circuit boards from electronic devices can be re-used. According to a new report, however, a more universal solution to a growing problem needs to be found. The report published this week by the United National Environment Program (UNEP) says that in 10 years e-waste from old computers is set to increase by 400 percent in China and South Africa from 2007 levels, and by 500 percent in India. Based on 11 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America the report warns that in countries with relatively little e-waste today — such as Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Uganda — it will soon be a huge problem. Those nations can expect e-waste to increase from PCs alone four-fold by 2020. Around 40 million tons of e-waste are produced each year, with much of it unaccounted for, according to findings by Solving The E-waste Problem (Steps), a UN-initiative supported by many major electronics companies. While often dumping grounds for e-waste exported from the EU and the U.S., countries such as China and India also will have to deal with a huge growth in home-produced e-waste fueled by a boom in sales of electronics. The UNEP report states that much of the e-waste in developing economies is not handled safely, often incinerated and exposing workers and the local environment to hazardous chemicals and toxins. “China is not alone in facing a serious challenge. India, Brazil, Mexico and others may also face rising environmental damage and health problems if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector,” Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP said in the report. According to Steps, China has 2 million of these backyard dismantlers and recyclers, far greater than the official regulated sector. “We need to find a way to keep them in the business to earn a living. E-waste recycling is a rather complex process requiring a lot of capacity, technologies and knowledge,” said Ruediger Kuehr, of the United Nations University. “But easy steps can be taken so people and the environment in the informal sector don’t suffer harm.” Kuehr believes most of the short-term solutions come from better training and infrastructure for the informal sector workers, but longer term needs more international coordination and better local enforcement. If done correctly it could be a money-spinner for those involved in every part of e-waste disposal and recycling operations. “One person’s waste can be another’s raw material. The challenge of dealing with e-waste represents an important step in the transition to a green economy,” Konrad Osterwalder, U.N. under-secretary general, said in the report. “Smart new technologies and mechanisms, which, combined with national and international policies, can transform waste into assets, creating new businesses with decent green jobs. In the process, countries can help cut pollution linked with mining and manufacturing, and with the disposal of old devices.” One idea is to put greater responsibility on the companies that produce the goods, which Kuehr suggests could be in their long-term interests as well. “Instead of purchasing the product, we are only purchasing the service the product provides. So it’s then in the interests of the companies to see the equipment returned from the consumer when they have new developments. It’s a different system. It shifts responsibility from the consumer to the producer.” In the short term, it may be that Winter Olympic champions remain in the minority of those safely getting their hands on e-waste gold. Yet the amount of money involved and greater awareness makes Kuehr hopeful they won’t be the only ones. “How much money we are wasting here by not properly recycling and letting it go to landfills? If we only look at the PC sector, it is gold worth in the hundreds of millions that we are wasting,” he said. South Africa’s economy grows The economy grew at a greater-than-expected 3.2% annual rate in Q4 on strong manufacturing output. South African Reserve Bank Gov. Gill Marcus said growth probably is accelerating in Q1. The central bank reiterated its commitment to containing inflation, a sign it probably won’t cut interest rates further after slashing rates by 500 basis points from Dec. ’08 to Aug. ’09. AFRICA / AU :
Sudan and JEM rebels agree to sign a final deal for peace in Darfur The signing ceremony was attended by President Omer Al-Bashir, the Chadian President Idriss Deby, and the Eritrean President as well as the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Deby’s presence was seen as an important signal of the link between the signed deal and the normalization process engaged in recently with Sudan. The 12-point deal provides a ceasefire agreement between the two parties to be implemented starting from Wednesday, 24 February, but also a commitment to finalize a peace agreement outlined in the framework agreement. Sources speak about unannounced clauses agreed between the two parties dealing with power sharing as the bilateral deal comes after the Abuja peace deal signed with Minni Minnawi in Abuja four years ago. Also it should be followed by a separate deal with other groups present in Doha but not included in today’s agreement. This marks the first important step since the Abuja agreement; meanwhile, another popular rebel group – the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLM-AW) — refuses to negotiate with the government asking it first to disarm government-backed militia prior to any talks. The breakthrough deal nonetheless makes obvious that the continuing state of fragmentation among an array of the non-signatory rebel groups may weaken their position and lead them to reconsider their demands. JEM and SLM-AW refused in May 2006 to sign a peace agreement, since it did conform to their demands for one sole administrative region in Darfur, individual compensation, and important representation in the central government and the other regions. Feeling the damage that could be generated by the separate talks, Khalil Ibrahim, JEM leader urged the other groups to join hands with his movement and negotiate as one delegation. “I call on my brothers in the other movements to (come together) in an overall partnership at the service of our country and say, let us unite and commit ourselves together and at the same time to peace,” said Khalil Ibrahim at the signing ceremony before to embrace President Omer Al-Bashir. The peace deal speaks without details about permanent political partnership between the National Congress Party (NCP) and JEM which, in accordance with the Doha framework accord, would become “a political party as soon as the final agreement is signed between the two parties”. The Sudanese President, who remitted death sentences on over one hundred JEM fighters in Khartoum before travelling to Doha said the framework agreement is “an important step toward ending war and the conflict in Darfur.” The deal despite the fact it was negotiated secretly in Ndjamena is a real breakthrough for the mediation which sought Deby’s intervention to break the deadlocked consultations between the rebels over the unity issue. Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki was last week touring African capitals reportedly seeking support to take over the Darfur dossier from the current UN-AU mediator Djibril Bassole, stressing that he can do more than the latter to push the parties toward talks. The Emir of Qatar, who is keen to host the talks in Doha and to conclude an agreement there pledged to give one billion US dollar for Darfur rehabilitation and reconstruction. Qatar is already committed in humanitarian action on the ground. Previously the Sudanese government and JEM rebels signed a goodwill agreement but they failed to implement it after Khartoum refusal to release JEM fighters. This occurred about a year ago. Sudan will hold within nearly two months general elections including presidential, legislative and regional levels. The NCP and the SPLM insist on April as the date for the poll which is part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005. But JEM rebels demand the delay of elections, adding it would be difficult to sign a final peace agreement before 15 March as it is stipulated in the framework agreement. (ST) UN /ONU :
Nearly six in ten persons use mobile in developing world: UN London: Nearly six in ten persons have a mobile phone in the developing world, according to a new UN report. There were an estimated 4.6 billion mobile subscriptions at the end of last year, compared with about one billion in 2002, the report said. “The rate of progress remains remarkable,” The Scotsman quoted the UN agency, as saying. To prepare the report, the UN tallied mobile phone, land-line telephone and internet usage in 159 countries, which ranged form most advanced European nations to least developed nations in sub-Saharan Africa. The report also found that Internet use has grown, but at a slower pace. An estimated 1.7 billion people, or 26% of the world’s population, were online last year, up from 11 per cent in 2002. Still, four out of five people living in poor countries had no access to the internet, with China comprising a third of the people online in the developing world. “One important challenge in bringing more people online is the limited availability of fixed broadband access,” the report said, adding that such services are mainly in the West and China. It also found that general access to the internet, telephones and other technologies was becoming cheaper, with the cost dropping in nearly every country last year. In Macao, Hong Kong and Singapore, the prices were lowest compared to people’s income. S. Africa seized N. Korean arms shipment: U.N. report mdn.mainichi.jp/24022010 The contents of the two containers South Africa confiscated from a vessel bound for Congo were deemed as “falling within the definition of conventional arms,” according to the report presented to the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions committee on North Korea on Feb. 18. Most of the shipment consisted of components for T54 and T55 tanks, made in the former Soviet Union, said the report, obtained by Kyodo News. In addition to gun-sights, seats, tracks, storage boxes and periscopes for the tanks, radios with Chinese markings were also discovered, as well as protective head gear and search lights. North Korea apparently tried to hide the true nature of the shipment as it was described as “spare parts of a bulldozer” and the containers were lined with large quantities of rice in sacks. After seizing the goods in November, South African authorities secured the containers in a warehouse in Durban, where they remain pending the completion of the investigation. According to the report, the goods, bound for Pointe Noire, the Republic of Congo, were first loaded onto a ship in Dalian, China, on Oct. 20. The cargo was then transferred to another ship, the Westerhever, which was chartered by a subsidiary of a French company, CMA CGM. The vessel left Port Klang, Malaysia, on Nov. 16. The ship was due to refuel at Durban harbor in late November, but because of fuel shortages was instructed to bunker at Walvis Bay. On Nov. 27 while on route to Walvis Bay the captain was ordered to return to Durban and discharge the two containers in question. Authorities from South Africa are due to present another report to the U.N. committee once its investigation is finalized. In December, Thai authorities confiscated 35 tons of weapons flown from North Korea and detained five crew members of a cargo plane making a refueling stopover at Bangkok’s Don Muang airport. In February the crew and pilot were deported. More than 20 anti-aircraft missile launchers and at least 48 antitank rocket-propelled bombs were seized. After the North conducted its second underground nuclear test in May last year, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1874, which bans all North Korean arms exports and allows member states to conduct inspections of cargo. (Mainichi Japan) February 24, 2010 USA :
CANADA :
Influenza The agency’s emergency committee met Tuesday and suggested it was “premature” to recommend downgrading the global flu outbreak. Swine flu cases have dropped dramatically in recent weeks in Western countries, but the virus has only recently hit Africa. The southern hemisphere is also bracing for another wave of illness in the next few months. PRAGUE, Czech Republic – The Czech Republic’s health minister says authorities are reducing an order for swine flu vaccine shots by 300,000 due to a lack of interest among people to get vaccinated. The country had planned to vaccinate about 1 million people in high-risk groups, including people with chronic diseases, health workers, soldiers and pregnant women. Ask for the real philodendron to stand up and you might be surprised at one plant that does not rise: the split-leaf philodendron, sometimes called Swiss cheese plant. Split-leaf philodendron is a philodendron look-alike, with smooth, glossy leaves and brown roots dangling from the stems like thick cords. Like a real philodendron, it also has a hardy disposition, tolerating low light, dry air and neglectful watering as well as any other good houseplant. JERUSALEM – An Israeli archaeologist says newly excavated ancient fortifications in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years to the time of the Bible’s King Solomon. Archaeologist Eilat Mazar says pottery shards date the walls to the 10th century B.C. If she’s right, the findings would indicate a strong central government in Jerusalem then because building city walls demanded great resources and organization. LONDON – The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to regular flu vaccines next season. The swine flu pandemic virus, or H1N1, emerged too late last year to be added to the regular flu vaccine, and a separate vaccine was needed. For this year’s northern hemisphere flu season, however, the two vaccines should be combined, WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said Thursday after the agency met this week to decide which strains should be recommended to drug makers for vaccines. NEW YORK – A silver taffeta trench coat and a reversible grey one made partially of lacquered cotton are two nice bookends to the Luca Luca story for next season. Designer Raul Melgoza said he wanted to offer a collection of fall clothes at New York Fashion Week that paid homage to “the diverse roles of women in society.” ATLANTA – Swine flu cases are down, but health officials say the disease’s cumulative impact has grown to 57 million U.S. illnesses, 257,000 hospitalizations and 11,690 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new estimates Friday. They represent cases from the time swine flu was first identified in April through mid-January – the first nine months of the pandemic. TORONTO – H1N1 influenza landed a higher proportion of Canadians in ICUs and on ventilators, and at a much younger age on average, than seasonal flu does in a typical year, says a report assessing the comparative impact of the pandemic virus. The study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information compared hospitalization statistics for H1N1 patients between April and December to data for patients with regular flu during the 2007-2008 season. OTTAWA – More than half of Ottawa’s residents rolled up their sleeves for the H1N1 flu shot. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Isra Levy estimates 53 per cent of the population have received the vaccine since it was first available at the end of October. GENEVA – The World Health Organization will hold an expert meeting later this month to consider whether the swine flu pandemic’s peak has passed, a senior official said Thursday. WHO’s emergency committee will give its verdict to U.N. health chief Margaret Chan on whether the global outbreak has entered a “transition period,” the agency’s flu chief Keiji Fukuda said. ATLANTA – If the U.S. swine flu epidemic isn’t over, it certainly looks as if it’s on its last legs. While federal health officials are not ready to declare the threat has passed and the outbreak has run its course, they did report Friday that for the fourth week in a row, no states had widespread flu activity. U.S. cases have been declining since late October. TORONTO – Canada has revealed what it will do with a portion of the country’s large H1N1 vaccine surplus, announcing Thursday that it is giving five million doses to the World Health Organization. Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said Canada would also give the global health agency $6 million to support its pandemic relief efforts. VANCOUVER, B.C. – Athletes, officials and tourists in Vancouver for the Olympics are being invited to take home an unusual souvenir from next month’s Winter Games – an H1N1 flu shot. British Columbia’s chief medical officer of health says anyone who wants a pandemic flu shot while at the Olympics is welcome to get one. PRAGUE, Czech Republic – The Czech Republic’s president says he is opposing a mandatory vaccination program against swine flu for the Czech military. Vaclav Klaus says he considers the order of Czech military chief of general staff Lt. Gen. Vlastimil Picek to vaccinate 16,000 soldiers “highly controversial, if not unacceptable.” GENEVA – The World Health Organization has rejected as “irresponsible” allegations that swine flu is a fake pandemic. WHO also dismissed claims it colluded with drug companies to bring economic benefit to the industry by playing up the danger of the new H1N1 influenza strain. VANCOUVER, B.C. – Not everyone in Canada wanted an H1N1 shot, but B.C.’s chief medical officer of health says the vaccine was popular among First Nations people in that province. Dr. Perry Kendall says rates of vaccine uptake ranged from about 71 per cent to a staggering 140 per cent in some B.C. First Nations Communities. TORONTO – A new study says genetic susceptibility is unlikely to be responsible for increased rates of severe H1N1 cases in aboriginal people. It has been noted with H1N1 and with earlier pandemics that aboriginal people seemed to be more prone to developing severe illness than non-aboriginals. MEXICO CITY – Mexico City has started giving swine flu vaccinations at subway stations in an effort to reach more people. City Health Secretary Armando Ahued says the campaign has begun at the 26 busiest stations and will be extended to markets by the end of the week. He spoke to reporters Tuesday. Mexico City has 300,000 vaccine doses and administered 10,200 at subway stops Monday. Air Force, Army leaders seek more data on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ By Ed O’Keefe/Washington Post Staff Writer /Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Top leaders of the Air Force and Army weighed in Tuesday about the possible repeal of the armed forces’ ban on gays in the military, saying they have concerns about the change and want to hear more from the Pentagon on the matter. “We just don’t know the impacts on readiness and military effectiveness,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Casey said he worried about “the impact of a repeal of the law on a force that is fully engaged in two wars and has been at war for 8 1/2 years.” He also said he opposes a moratorium on dismissing service members who violate the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and Army Secretary John McHugh suggested that a moratorium might complicate cases currently under review. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz told the House Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, that he is concerned with the lack of solid survey data on a potential repeal. “This is not the time to perturb the force . . . without careful deliberation,” he said in response to a question on the matter. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen expressed their personal support for a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” at a Senate hearing last month. Gates also appointed an Army general and the Pentagon’s top lawyer to lead a review team to survey the force on the matter. Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) has considered introducing legislation that would stop military discharges for those who violate the policy. The Pentagon is conducting a study of impacts the military might expect from a repeal. Casey told senators that he would prefer that the study be completed before lawmakers take any action. An academic study released Tuesday reports that 25 countries, including Australia, Canada, Britain and Israel, have quickly ended similar bans on gay and lesbian service members with general success. “No consulted expert anywhere in the world concluded that lifting the ban on openly gay service caused an overall decline in the military,” concluded the study by the Palm Center at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Gates has said he would prefer up to a year to implement a repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but Palm Center researchers suggest that a quicker approach would benefit U.S. forces. “Swift, decisive implementation signals the support of top leadership and confidence that the process will go smoothly, while a ‘phased-in’ implementation can create anxiety, confusion and obstructionism,” the study said. Other conclusions from the report: — None of the 25 countries established separate living facilities for gay or lesbian troops or established rules that treat them differently than heterosexuals. — Lifting bans did not result in a mass “coming out” by servicemembers. — Gay and lesbian troops serve at all levels of the armed forces of Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Israel in combat and noncombat roles, as enlisted members and commanders. — There were no instances of increased harassment of or by gay people as a result of lifting bans in any of the countries studied. Mining Africa’s potash riches: Allana a BHP takeover candidate? Marc Davis, BNW News Wire/ www.resourceinvestor.com/ Published 2/24/2010 A Canadian/Chinese partnership to commercialize Africa’s first modern-day potash mine may yet get the ultimate endorsement from the world’s largest mining company, BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP), by way of a takeover bid. So says Robert Winslow, a potash analyst at one of Canada’s leading investment banks, Toronto-based Wellington West Capital Markets, in reference to Toronto-based Allana Potash Corp. (TSX.V: AAA). “If BHP covets assets in multiple basins, Allana is an obvious target,” he announced earlier this month in a research paper, in which he alluded to BHP’s recent acquisition of another junior Canadian potash explorer, Athabasca Potash (TSX: API), at the heart of Saskatchewan’s prolific potash fields. Notably, BHP also has potash claims in close proximity to Allana’s land holdings in Ethiopia’s Danakil Potash Basin, which is shaping up to exhibit a “similar scale to Saskatchewan and Russian basins” (which collectively host most of the world’s largest potash reserves), Winslow also notes. As of lately, BHP and other multinational mining powerhouses, as well as a tiny handful of potash explorers, have been jostling for position to access rich potash reserves – against a backdrop of rising crop prices and the imperative to boost crop yields to feed a burgeoning global population. In particular, the challenge to significantly boost China’s agricultural output is a call to action for Allana Potash, according to its president, Farhad Abasov. That is why the tiny mineral explorer plans to expand the overall size of its Ethiopian potash deposit within the next few weeks by way of drilling – and with an initial cash infusion from its new Chinese partner. Ethiopia’s historic potash fields, known as the Danakil Basin, have never before experienced any meaningful mining activity and still offer considerable untapped potential, Abasov says. This is especially the case at the company’s expansive property, which has only seen small-scale production in the past. Now it is being groomed for a new lease on life as a full-scale mining operation after languishing for the last eight decades. China Minerals United Management purchased a $2 million equity stake in Allana last November in what the company’s management refers to as a “strategic off-take/financing agreement.” In other words, China Minerals is hoping to secure a long-term potash supply consisting of 20% of the mine’s future output, and at discounted prices (at least until China Minerals has recouped all of its expenditures on the mine development process). In return, the deep-pocketed company, which is closely allied to one of the largest fertilizer companies in China, has agreed to commit 35% of the project’s estimated overall US $280 million in mine construction costs. That said, Allana will remain the sole owner of the project. Allana has made a shrewd move by joining forces with Chinese financial backers, according to Phillip Williams, a mining analyst with the high-flying Toronto-based investment firm Pinetree Capital (which saw its net asset value [NAV] per share increase 80% to $2.39 at the end of last year’s third quarter, compared to a $1.33 NAV per share as of December 31, 2008). “This deal has put Allana on the map. It’s a serious validation for the company and the potash resources that it has. With China’s big appetite for commodities, they’re a natural fit for Allana,” Williams says. Allana’s land holdings are only about 100 kilometers from the city of Mekele, giving the company ready access to mechanized equipment, labor and other logistical support. In the intervening years, the mine site and surrounding area have been intermittently explored. As the property has a well-documented drilling history, Allana has been able to build upon this drill data to complete an official (NI 43-101 compliant) mineral resource estimate consisting of 105 million tonnes of potash, averaging a favourable grade of 20.8%. However, the deposit still has plenty of “big picture” scope for additional growth, Abasov says. This is why his company’s new Chinese partner is particularly attracted to the logistics in favour of a richly mineralized, low-cost mining operation that could be in business for many years to come. “To date, we have 105,200,000 tonnes of potash already outlined in the inferred category. Yet, we’re ultimately targeting a potential resource of up to four to five times this size, which would be world-class,” Abasov says. The company’s 2010 drill program consists of two phases over the next few months. Together, they are intended to expand the deposit’s overall size, while also providing detailed enough drill data for a follow-up feasibility study (an initial blueprint for a mine), Abasov explains. This drill-delineated assessment of key capital expenditures and other start-up costs is also expected to demonstrate the mine’s amenability to being a prospectively low-cost producer. “We’re very confident that a future mine in this particular geological environment could be one of the lowest cost producers in the world,” Abasov says. By which he means that the deposit is amenable to low cost solution mining (involving the flooding of drill holes with hot water to dissolve the potash for extraction). This allows for a scalable rollout of mining operations that Allana believes could have the mine up and running in record time – by around 2013 or early 2014. Conversely, “brownfield” (conventional) mines elsewhere in the world typically take 5-7 years to build and each involves daunting costs of around US $2-3 billion. This hefty price tag is one of the reasons why the commercialization of new potash mines during the past few decades has been a very rare event. Then there’s the fact that the world’s supplies of potash are tightly controlled. In fact, over 150 nations import potash but only a dozen or so actually produce this indispensible agricultural nutrient (of which Canada, Russia and Belarus account for about 80% of global output). Furthermore, the furnace that runs China’s booming economy has to be constantly stoked, which is why the world’s new superpower is scouring Africa for inexpensive supplies of natural resources. Ones that can be locked-in over the long-term. Hence, Africa’s scarce potash deposits are of great strategic value. Especially since the Chinese clearly begrudge the high prices they have been paying in recent years to Canpotex – the marketing arm of Canada’s potash cartel. This reality is underscored by the fact that China balked at renewing its annual purchasing contract last year after months of tense negotiations. Instead, a deal was struck in last December with Belarusian Potash, the world’s biggest exporter of the soil nutrient, at a deeply discounted US $350 a ton. China has publicly acknowledged that it needs to at least double its application of fertilizers to maximize its crop yields in order to produce better quality food and in more plentiful quantities. Hence, China’s National Development and Reform Commission is encouraging state-owned and private Chinese mining and oil companies to forge close economic ties with underdeveloped African nations. In the case of Ethiopia, this is obviously a shrewd move as this historically war and famine ravaged natio AUSTRALIA :
Sacre bleu.. SA wines beat French 24/02/2010 /www.mirror.co.uk More South African wine is now sold in Britain than French, figures reveal. Sales of South African labels grew by 20% to 12.27 million cases in 12 months while those from France fell 12% to 12.266 million. That gap is now just four 12-bottle cases but is expected to grow, said industry analysts Nielsen. South Africa began largescale wine exports in 1994 when it sold 50 million litres around the world. Now that figure is 400 million. Michelle Smith, Sainsbury’s wine buyer, said: “This is amazing progress.” Total sales value of pricier French wine is still greater. Wines from Australia, California and Italy were already outselling French labels by volume in the UK. EUROPE :
EU Ministers Ratify Extension of Zimbabwe Sanctions Citing ‘Insufficient’ Progress Sandra Nyaira & Ntungamili Nkomo/ www1.voanews.com/ 24 February 2010 European Union foreign ministers have officially adopted last week’s decision by junior ministers of the 27-nation bloc to extend targeted travel and financial sanctions against President Robert Mugabe and about 200 top officials of his ZANU-PF party and related companies for another year. The decision lifted sanctions on some state enterprises, though, and the EU Foreign Affairs council said it was “ready to review its position in case of a change of course by the Zimbabwean authorities.” The Foreign Affairs Council said that despite a year of power-sharing, Zimbabwe had made “insufficient progress towards democracy” and expressed regret at what it termed a lack of progress on the rule of law, human rights, constitutional reform, power sharing on equal terms, national reconciliation, security sector reform and the protection of investor rights. The ministers said the EU would continue to review sanctions and could lift them if power-sharing issues between Mr. Mugabe’s ZANU-PF and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara were resolved. Political analyst John Makumbe of the University of Zimbabwe told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira that the Council’s characterization of the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe was entirely accurate. Political analyst George Mkhwanazi told Ntungamili Nkomo that ZANU-PF has done little to merit the removal of Western sanctions.
Feb 24, 2010 /www.swp.ie In a statement, the Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) has said that the almost certain responsibility of Israel for the outrage where seven falsified Irish passports were used to facilitate the assassins of senior Hamas figure, Mahmoud Al Mabhouh, in Dubai, was further proof that Israel is a rogue state that has no respect for international law, human rights or the sovereignity of Ireland and other states. The IAWM further questioned why Israel was being treated with kid gloves by the international community and the Irish government. The IAWM pointed out that if Iran were implicated in such outrages it might well be used as a pretext for military attacks and certainly tougher sanctions, while no action whatsoever was even being discussed in relation to Israel. The IAWM said that, following the horrors inflicted by Israel on the people of Gaza last year and decades where Israel had denied Palestinians the most basic human rights, this latest Israeli action was proof of the need for the international community to isolate and boycott Israel economically and diplomatically. The IAWM called on the Irish government to expel the Israeli ambassador and institute sanctions on Israel as were done to apartheid South Africa. Richard Boyd Barrett chairperson of the IAWM said: “It is patently obvious that this assassination was carried out by Israel and that they are responsible for stealing Irish and other passport numbers and manufacturing false passports. The assassination is further evidence of the cold-blooded brutality of Israel and its utter contempt for international law and human rights and the soveriegnity Ireland and other states. It is a brazen affront to this country that Israel would misuse Irish passports to commit this crime and in the process potentially endanger Irish citizens and passport holders. It shows they have absolutely no respect for our laws, our international standing or the safety of our citizens. The double standards being applied to Israel after this action are bewildering. If Iran was implicated in an action like this, it is highly likely that it would be used as a pretext for a military assault on the country or at the very least we would hear demands for hard-hitting sanctions. Yet Israel is treated with kid gloves and there is not even a mention of sanctions or diplomatic expulsions.Clearly, there is one law for Israel and one law for Muslim states in the International community. With this outrage, we have got yet another glimpse of Israel’s criminal immorality as a state and a taste of the sort of brutality and flagrant disregard for human rights that is experienced, day in day out, by the suffering Palestinian people. Surely now, after this outrage and the horrors inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the ongoing persecution of the Palestinian people, it is time to recognise that Israel is a rogue state that should be boycotted and isolated by the International community. It is utterly scandalous that Israel should have a privilegdged political and economic relationship with the EU when it engages so regularly in outarages against Palestinains and against other countries and their citizens. It is beyond comprehension that the Irish government are taking no action to sanction Israel Just as the International community finally acknowledged after many years that apartheid South Africa was an obnoxious entity that had no place in the community of nations and had sanctions imposed on it, surely the time has come to treat Israel in the same way. At the very least, if the Irish government had any self respect, it would expel the Israeli ambassador and impose sanctions, in response to this outrageous abuse of Irish sovereignity, not to mention the use of extra judicial execution. IPSC calls for stronger action on Irish passports in Dubai murder scandal The IPSC believes that it was entirely unacceptable that Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, was wined and dined yesterday in Brussels by the European Union. We also believe that the statement issued by EU condemning the use of forged Irish, British, German and French passports did not go far enough and that Israel should have been identified as the main suspect in the Dubai killing. According to Dr David Landy, chairperson of the IPSC, “The EU reaction has been far too mild and it is quite bizarre that the Israeli foreign minister should have been treated with such regard in Brussels at this time. The Israeli denial of involvement in the Dubai assassination has been wholly unconvincing and more a case of ‘if you can’t prove it, then we won’t admit it’. Israel is treating the international community with contempt.” Dr Landy continued, “The IPSC is particularly concerned by reports emanating from Israel in recent days that suggest that Israeli political and security officials believe that they can ride out this diplomatic storm and that it will die down soon. This must not be allowed to happen.” In particular, the IPSC believes that there are specific questions that now need to be answered in relation to the use by the 18-strong Mossad hit squad of five forged Irish passports. One of these relates to the use by ‘Kevin Daveron’, one of the Mossad squad, of an address at 6 Elgin Road, Dublin, the property of James Reynolds. This house was almost certainly selected as a ‘home address’ for one of the Israeli killers because it has been vacant for a long period. The property at Elgin Road is situated within Dublin’s embassy belt. Obvious questions arise. Is Mossad active in this country and did Israeli agents conduct groundwork in Ireland for the Dubai assassination? How was the house on Elgin Road selected and how was it known to be vacant? More generally, the IPSC is concerned that not enough attention is being paid to the murder itself, which was an act of international terrorism. According to Dr Landy: “The assassination by Israel of senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is part of a campaign of ‘targeted killings’ that has been conducted mostly within Palestine and particularly against its political opponents in Gaza. Hundreds have been murdered by Israel in an attempt to suppress Palestinian opposition to its policies while the EU and the international community stood idly by. The difference this time is that Israel has returned to a policy of killing its political opponents within the territory of other sovereign states. This is an outrage but no less acceptable than the campaign of assassination that is routinely conducted against Palestinian officials in Gaza and the West Bank.” He concluded: “The Irish government and the EU need to speak out clearly against this policy of calculated murder by Israel of its political opponents.” CHINA :
Military coup in Niger The military have carried out a coup in the West African state of Niger, ousting incumbent President Mamadou Tandja in this former French colony. According to a BBC report, troops burst into a cabinet meeting being held in the presidential palace on Thursday, February 18. They announced they were suspending the constitution and closing down the government apparatus. On Sunday, February 22, they declared they would change the constitution and hold elections, but have given no date. The coup leaders issued an immediate curfew, but this was revoked the next day. Tandja and three of his ministers were arrested by the coup leaders. The coup follows Tandja’s bid to extend his presidency to a third term. The soldiers carrying out the coup, led by Colonel Salou Djibo, have named themselves the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (Conseil suprême pour la Restauration de la Démocratie, CSRD). Niger became independent from France in 1960, and has had several periods of military rule. Tandja won power in an election in 1999. This election followed a coup led by Major Daouda Wanke in which the then-leader of the military-led government, Ibrahim Mainassara, was assassinated. Tandja was elected for a second term of five years in December 2004. Under the Niger constitution, the presidential holder is subject to a maximum of two terms. He would have been due to step down on December 22. In the course of his second term Tandja began pushing for a change in the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term. When in May last year the Niger national assembly refused to back his plans for a referendum to allow him a third term, he dissolved it. The following month he dissolved the constitutional court when it ruled that a bid to run for a third term would be illegal. Tandja and his supporters in the Tazarche (Continuity) Movement argued he should be allowed a third term so that he could continue with his plans to build a dam across the Niger and maintain peace with the Tuareg, in the north of Niger. Tandja signed a peace deal with the Movement of Niger People for Justice (MNJ) in April 2009. In August, Tandja went ahead with his referendum on a third term. The opposition boycotted it. But Tandja claimed that it gave him a mandate to continue as president. He held parliamentary elections in October. The opposition boycotted the process. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opposed the elections, suspending Niger from membership. The US had called on ECOWAS to impose full sanctions against Niger. France and ECOWAS have condemned the coup. Initially, the foreign minister of Senegal, who was acting as an ECOWAS envoy, was prevented from landing in the country. He has since been admitted and has held talks with the new military junta. Niger’s global importance is that it holds the largest uranium deposits in the world and is thought to have oil reserves. Despite these resources, Niger ranks 182 out of 182 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index—one of the least developed and poorest countries in the world. For the last 30 years the French government-owned company, Areva, has maintained a virtual monopoly over Niger’s uranium reserves. It mines the Arlit and Akouta deposits, which produced over 3,000 metric tonnes in 2008. Areva also paid Niger $1.5 billion to develop the Imouraren deposit, which is expected to produce around 5,000 metric tonnes a year when it comes on stream in 2012. France gets 40 percent of its uranium from Niger and 76 percent of France’s energy comes from nuclear power. Tandja “secured the discreet backing of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to extend his presidency for another term,” according to Africa Confidential. This followed the signing of a production deal with Areva earlier in the year. Sarkozy visited Niger’s capital Niamey in March last year. France’s monopoly on uranium production in Niger is being challenged by China. It secured the right to prospect for oil in the Agadem oilfield in the east of the country near its border with Chad and in two uranium deposits at Azelik and Teguidda. As in so many areas of Africa, the arrival of China on the scene has caused a shift in power relations, meaning that France no longer has sole claim to Niger’s resources. The political and military elite of this former colony now sees an opportunity to renegotiate deals for resources. Control of the government ensures access to big money from the uranium revenue and any future income from oil. The prospect of Tandja getting control of that wealth and consolidating his position at the expense of other factions of the elite has led to the coup. So far the new junta has not shown itself hostile to French interests. Areva says that uranium production is continuing as usual. But if there were a perceived threat, France would not hesitate to intervene militarily. As Stratfor, an organisation with close ties to American security circles, has pointed out, France has forces in neighbouring Gabon, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire. INDIA :
Bharti in talks over Zain deal funding: SBI Wed Feb 24, 2010/Reuters MUMBAI (Reuters) – State Bank of India (SBI.BO), India’s largest lender, is in talks with Bharti Airtel (BRTI.BO) over the telecoms firm’s funding to acquire the African assets of Kuwaiti firm Zain (ZAIN.KW), SBI’s chairman said on Wednesday. Deals SBI Chairman O.P. Bhatt was speaking on the sidelines of a banking technology summit. BRASIL:
Brazil, India “key to Fairtrade’s future” Harriet Lamb said a combination in those countries of farmers selling Fairtrade produce and of a growing, more affluent middle class made such markets key to the development of the business. Awareness of the Fairtrade mark is growing in the UK, on the back of high-profile moves from Cadbury, Nestle and Unilever to switch to Fairtrade certification on products like Dairy Milk, KitKat and Ben & Jerry’s. In an exclusive interview with just-food, Lamb said there was “huge potential” for Fairtrade outside of Europe and insisted there would be “an explosion” in the mark in the US in the years ahead. “We think the future will be in countries like South Africa, like India, like Brazil, the growing developing countries where there will be farmers selling on Fairtrade terms but where there is also a very strong middle class,” Lamb said. “In India, there are as many middle-class people as in the whole population of Europe, so the potential is huge in those countries. “The next step is to build awareness, for example, in the US. That is a huge consumer market but the awareness of Fairtrade is much lower in the US. The potential is there but it is definitely behind Europe. With the engagement of some big American brands like Ben & Jerry’s, coupled with the beginnings of the growth of the grassroots social movement in the US, we will see an explosion at some point in the US in the years to come.” just-food is the world’s leading portal for the global pre-packaged food and retail industries. Its daily mix of breaking news, views, analysis and research serves over 100,000 food executives each month.
EN BREF, CE 24 février 2010 … AGNEWS / OMAR, BXL,24/02/2010 |
BURUNDI – AFRICA / INTERNATIONAL : 24 FEVRIER 2010 [Sudan and JEM rebels agree to sign a final deal for peace in Darfur]
