{jcomments on}OMAR, BXL, AGNEWS, le 29 juillet 2010 — The 15th Summit of the African Union Heads of State and Government has today ended in Kampala with a call to member countries to double their efforts in ensuring that the continent will, in 5 years time, become prosperous and strong enough to be a better trading partner with the G-8 countries.

BURUNDI :

Burundi arrests terrorism suspect
2010-07-29/- SAPA

Bujumbura – Burundi police arrested a Croatian tourist in the capital Bujumbura for suspected links to an Islamist extremist group, he told AFP on Wednesday.

“On Sunday I was walking around the city, I saw the magnificent Bujumbura cathedral, I took pictures of it and a policeman arrived, arrested me and took me to the police station,” said Vladimir Splajt, a 53-year-old lawyer.

Police detained Splajt until Tuesday “in appalling conditions, without anything to eat”, and then searched his hotel room where, since Tuesday, six officers had kept him under strict surveillance, he said.

Burundi police confirmed Splajt’s arrest and said he would be released without charge while the investigation continued.

“This man is suspected of having links to terrorism, as we know the Regina Mundi cathedral in Bujumbura is among the potential targets of the Shebaab,” a source from the Burundi secret services said.

The Shebaab, an Islamist extremist group that controls most of central and western Somalia, claimed responsibility for attacks in Uganda’s capital on July 11 that killed 76 people gathered to watch the World Cup final.

The group has made several threats against Uganda and Burundi for their contribution to an African Union peacekeeping force that has been fighting the Shebaab in Somalia since May 2009.

Following the attacks in Uganda, the African Union said it would reinforce the AU peacekeeping mission in Somalia to counter the Shebaab insurgents.

RWANDA

Around Africa: Rwanda uses phones to tackle maternal mortality; Swazi prince threatens journalists
29 July 2010/Haggae Matsiko/www.independent.co.ug 

South African workers to strike: South African public sector workers have given the government seven days to meet their pay demands. The unions say if the deadline is not met the workers will go on strike. The coalition of unions, representing as many as 900,000 people, has said it will walk out indefinitely. The unions turned down an above-inflation offer last week. During the World Cup last month transport and power supply worker unions won pay rises after threatening to strike during the tournament. 
Somali-born athlete gets Great Britain’s first gold medal: Mo Farah clinched Great Britain’s first gold medal of the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona by storming to victory in the men’s 10,000m.Farah, 27, came home in a time of 28 minutes, 24.99 seconds, finishing ahead of fellow Brit Chris Thompson, who made it a GB one-two in the event. It was GB’s first-ever European 10,000m gold and Farah’s first major title. Farah won his first major title at the European Junior Championships in 2001. Born in Mogadishu, Farah arrived in Britain in 1993 as a refugee.

Rwanda uses phones to tackle maternal mortality: The Rwandan government is giving out hundreds of cell phones in an attempt to save pregnant women and babies. About 500 volunteer community health care workers in the rural district of Musanze have been given free phones so they can keep track of all the pregnant women in their villages. The cell phones are used to register and monitor expecting mothers. If there are any questions, complications or updates, health workers simply send a text to their local clinic and receive a response within minutes. Rwanda’s health indicators have improved over years and it’s one of the only six African nations to avail over 15 percent of the national budget to the health sector.

Piracy increases on African waters: More incidents of piracy have been recorded on the East African coast and many worry that many more pirates are moving southwards. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) reported 38 incidents of attempted hijacking in May alone, most of them in the waters around Somalia. Since 1984, the year in which the IMO started keeping records of pirate activity, 500 acts of piracy have been recorded along the Somali coast and the Gulf of Aden. The Brenthurst Foundation, in a document titled Maritime Development in Africa, highlights piracy as one of the threats to economic development and security in Africa. The document calls on African Union to lead the drafting of an African strategy to tackle the issue.

Swazi prince threatens journalists: According to The Committee to Protect Journalists, a member of Swaziland’s royal family last week made death threats against local journalists over their critical coverage of the country’s leadership. During a July 21 public forum called the Smart Partnership National Dialogue in the central commercial city of Manzini, Prince Mahlaba, brother of Swaziland leader King Mswati III, was quoted by local media as saying: “I want to warn the media to bury things that have the potential of undermining the country rather than publish all and everything even when such reports are harmful to the country’s international image.

Salim to head C’wealth team to Rwanda
Thursday, 29 July 2010/By The Citizen Reporter

Former Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim has been appointed to lead a 14-member Commonwealth group that will observe next month’s presidential election in Rwanda.

The group has been formed by the Commonwealth secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma at the invitation of the National Electoral Commission of Rwanda, according to a statement made available to The Citizen in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

“Rwanda is the newest member of the Commonwealth, and we are very pleased to observe these important elections,” Mr Sharma said. 

He added: “Democracy is a key pillar of the Commonwealth, and the credible conduct of a country’s election is an integral and vital element of the democratic process.”

The group’s mandate is to observe preparations for the election, the polling, counting of ballots, announcement of results and the overall electoral environment.

The team is also to assess the conduct of the process as a whole and, where appropriate, make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral framework in Rwanda.

The group is required to be impartial and independent and conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

Other members of the team include Mr Sabihuddin Ahmed (Bangladesh), Mr Art Wright (Canada), Brig Gen (rtd) Francis Agyemfra (Ghana), Dr Leith Dunn, (Jamaica), Mr Ceasar Handa (Kenya), Mr Samuel Tembenu (Malawi), Mr Mokshanand Dowarkasing (Mauritius), Mrs Simea Avei Meafou (Samoa), Dr Christiana Thorpe (Sierra Leone), Mr J.C. Weliamuna (Sri Lanka), Ms Adelle Roopchand (Trinidad and Tobago) and Ms Kaye Oliver (United Kingdom).

The group’s report will be submitted to the Commonwealth secretary-general, who will, in turn, forward it to the Rwandan government, country’s electoral body and political parties, and eventually to all Commonwealth member countries. 

Singapore Concludes Open Skies Agreements With Barbados, Brazil, Jamaica and Rwanda
Thursday, July 29, 2010/Source : CAAS/www.etbmice.com

Singapore has concluded Open Skies Agreements (OSAs) with Barbados, Brazil, Jamaica and Rwanda, at the International Civil Aviation Organisation Air Services Negotiation Conference 2010 (ICAN 2010), held in early July in Montego Bay, Jamaica. ICAN 2010 offers a central meeting place for air services officials from various countries to meet and conduct bilateral air services negotiations.

2 The OSAs with Barbados and Jamaica are the first between Singapore and the Caribbean Community. The Singapore-Brazil OSA comes on the back of the Singapore-Peru OSA, which was concluded in 2009 together with the establishment of Air Services Agreements with Colombia and Ecuador. The OSA with Rwanda is Singapore’s second with an African country, after the Singapore-Zambia OSA that was concluded in 2008.

3 Without restrictions on capacity, frequency or routing, OSAs allow carriers the full flexibility to introduce services when market opportunities arise. Carriers are also able to tap on traffic from and to third countries to improve the commercial viability of their operations.

4 Direct air links with Singapore will allow businesses in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbeans to access more markets by tapping on Singapore’s excellent connectivity to the Asia Pacific region. This will reinforce the growing people and trade flows between these regions and the Asia Pacific. The establishment of liberal air services frameworks between Singapore and more countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbeans pave the way for such benefits. There are currently no direct flight connections between Singapore and Latin America or the Caribbeans. In Africa, Singapore Airlines operates passenger services
to Egypt and South Africa, while Singapore Airlines Cargo operates cargo services to Kenya and South Africa.

5 Apart from sealing OSAs with the four countries at ICAN 2010, Singapore and Fiji also concluded an open skies framework for cargo services and expanded traffic rights entitlements for passenger operations between and beyond both countries.

6 Mr Yap Ong Heng, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore welcomed the recent developments, saying, “Airlines operate in a challenging environment with dynamic markets. It is thus critical for countries to proactively put in place air services frameworks that enable airlines the commercial freedom to respond to market opportunities. The Open Skies Agreements that Singapore and these countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America have concluded recognise the benefits that they can bring to airlines, the travelling public and the wider economy through increased trade, tourism and people flows.”

7 Singapore now has OSAs with over 40 countries, including the four new OSAs.

UGANDA

President holds meeting with Col. Gadhaffi
www.mediacentre.go.ug/Thursday, 29 July 2010 

President Yoweri Museveni and his Libyan counterpart, Col. Moamer el Gadhaffi, have today held talks on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Summit meeting that has been taking place at the Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo.

The President and the Libyan leader discussed issues of bilateral nature between their 2 countries, Libya and Uganda.

Col. Gadhaffi was among 35 Heads of State and Government of member countries of the African Union that have been in the country for the 15th AU summit that opened 0n 25th July 2010.
E N D S 

President calls for cheaper ways of health services
www.mediacentre.go.ug/Thursday, 29 July 2010

President Yoweri Museveni has urged all African Heads of State and government to adopt multiple and cheaper ways of health services in solving the challenges of most of diseases afflicting the common person.

He cited immunization, hygiene, nutrition and behaviour change as some of the cheaper ways used by the Government of Uganda in combating most of the common diseases.
“We struggled on getting resources; on the other hand we looked for cheaper ways of providing health services”, he noted.

President Museveni was last evening speaking at a gala dinner held at Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo that was attended by African leaders and their spouses. Entertainment music and songs were, among others, provided by a renowned South African performing diva, entrepreneur, humanitarian and philanthropist Ms. Yvonne Chaka Chaka who is also a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador against Malaria. Chaka Chaka heads her own charity, 

“The Princess of Africa Foundation” which is dedicated to raising awareness and initiative to eradicate malaria; a needless disease that Chaka Chaka says people need to know more about because it is preventable and curable but kills 3,000 people in Africa daily and about 1 million Africans succumb to it yearly.

President Museveni noted that there is need for African leaders to carry out a campaign of not drinking un-boiled water to avoid a host of water-borne diseases adding that the Government of Uganda has spearheaded the construction of boreholes in the Northern parts of the country to eliminate the guinea worm that used to come from drinking unclean water.

The President emphasized the need for Africa to pay more attention to foundation related issues of development like electricity and infrastructure, if more meaningful maternal health care, the theme of the 15th AU Summit in Kampala, is to be realized. He said that there is strong linkage between economic growth and sustainable maternal health.

AU Chairman and President of Malawi, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika commended the Summit for addressing the issues of maternal health. He called for action by African leaders to ensure the lives of women are saved.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Asha Rose Migiro, said the issue of maternal health is a barometer to social economic development. She noted that to ensure development, countries need healthy women and children. She, therefore, called on African leaders to work hard and use the available resources to save the lives of their people.

TANZANIA:

Corporate training takes place in Dar
Thursday, 29 July 2010 /By Al-amani Mutarubukwa/ thecitizen.co.tz

More than 350 local franchisees, distributors and individuals are taking part in corporate training in Dar es Salaam.
The speaker is Mr Glen McQuirk — a renowned South African motivator.

Mr McQuirk is also the author of a book titled ‘Map4Life’, which has so far sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.

He said such training was increasingly becoming nearly inevitable for people who would like to realise their dreams in the busy and competitive world.

“Many times people do not do certain things, even their biggest dreams, because of certain pre-existing conditions such as low education levels,” he said.

Corporate training is part of the process and all successful companies today know too well the significance of having their employees re-motivated.

Mr McQuirk, who learnt engineering, has for nearly a decade now been motivating people of all ages and backgrounds on how best they can clearly set goals in their lives and attain them without getting off track.

He elaborated the life plan. “First, define your position: know where you are going and what is your exact destination; plan how to get there and get ready to act on it; finally, record the lessons life teaches us.”

With registered members in 74 countries around the globe, Map4Life founder McQuirk is set to touch and inspire many people.

He said many people in South Africa, Mauritius, Portugal and other countries that had tried the tools from attending his seminars or reading his books had made significant differences in their lives.

For his part, the Map4Life National franchisee in Tanzania, Dr Zaipuna Yonah, appealed to the companies and young people to try the motivation training that would thereafter help them in identifying job opportunities without necessarily being employed formally.

Mr McQuirk has designed several inspirational tools that suit several discipline it be business, health to parenting.

“We are currently in the final processes to translate the books into different languages including Kiswahili to enable more people to read them,” he said.

Move to promote business
Thursday, 29 July 2010/By Hellen Nachilongo/thecitizen.co.tz

Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (Cofta) is expected to launch the Tanzania Network for Fair Trade (Tanfat) that intends to bring new approach towards empowering of the small scale producers in the country.

The Tanfat chairman, Mr Deodatus Kafwa said on Tuesday that the official launch would take place tomorrow in Dar es salaam, adding that the move aimed at promoting fair trade in African countries.

He said fair trade would be promoted only if African countries sign up the standards and ensure that they are being adhered in business practices.

He said that the mission was to work with marginalised producer groups in Tanzania and seeking to reduce the poverty through promotion of production and making of quality products.

According to Mr Kafwa, Tanfat would empower the country and enable it to advocate for the rights of artists, craftsmen and women through dialogue with the government especially in the formulation of policies that set grounds to poor producers in rural and urban areas.

He added that they would struggle to bridge the supply chain by making sure that producers were paid fairly and that the dialogue between the buyers and producers base on respect and transparency.

Mr Kafwa said that the producers were responsible for safeguarding the environment and ensure sustainable use of raw materials to protect endangered species by such as finding an alternative wood and replanting of the tree.

Cofta has networks in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Swaziland with others soon be opened in Senegal and Zimbabwe. Their aim is to have a country network representing fair trade producers on a country level in all member countries.

CONGO RDC :

Congo’s Young Mothers: Pregnancy without Dignity
www.soschildrensvillages.ca/29/7/2010

28/7/2010 – For millions of women giving birth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, labour will be a tragic affair in which their child will die and they will lose their dignity because of economic contraints to adequate health care provision. 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) four women die every hour from complications of pregnancy. One of the most deadly complications for unborn children and that most commonly stripping women of their dignity is the obstetric fistula. 

An obstetric fistula occurs when a “hole” develops between the rectum or bladder and the vaginal opening. It generally happens when sufficient medical attention is not accessible so nobody notices and acts on the problem.

Fistulas come about during several days protracted labour when the baby is squeezed too tightly in the birth canal, putting a troublesome amount of pressure on the tissues around the genitals. However, fistulas can also be caused by abortions and female genital mutilation. 

Once a fistula has developed, the consequences for women are horrific. It affects all spheres of their well-being: physical, social, emotional and economic. Without treatment—usually in the form of a caesarean section—the women will be left incontinent. Moreover, the baby’s life cannot often be saved. Unable to control her bladder or bowel movements, the woman faces ostracism from her husband, family and community. She will be unable to find work and forced to live as a dependent on the farthest margins of society, dependent upon the goodwill of others for her very survival. 

The United Nations Population Fund notes that too many women giving birth in the developing world suffer from obstetric fistulas when delivering—up to 30 women for every maternal death in the Congo. Globally, this complication accounts for roughly 8% of all maternal deaths, according to the World Health organization (WHO). 

Poverty and economic constraints continue to restrict progress in the health sector. Of the $60 million that’s needed to bring it up to scratch, the DRC only has the capacity to allocate $6 million to health care. Without the right medical equipment, anaesthesias and trained medical staff to attend births and spot the symptoms of a fistula, it is unlikely any significant improvement will be seen.

The risk of developing an obstetric fistula is increased many times over in child or teen pregnancies. More than of the DRC’s total population of women (35 million) give birth before they’ve reached their nineteenth birthdays. They will give birth, on average, to 6.2 children each.

Not only do young mothers have their own lives jeopardized, but these early, multiple and closely-space pregnancies have a tendency to cause undernourishment among young children. The first five years of life are a struggle. The first year of childhood is especially lethal. Indeed, the DRC’s infant mortality rate has actually risen since two years ago, climbing from 2% to more than 81 deaths per 1000 live births.

Many children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa do not live past their fifth birthdays either. In 2007, the child mortality rate in the DRC was among the worst in the world with about 205 children per 1000 live births not living past the age of five.

Congolese journalist under arrest; stations forced off air
July 29, 2010 /cpj.org

New York, July 28, 2010—Authorities arrested a journalist on Tuesday on criminal defamation charges in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hours earlier, in an unrelated incident, armed men briefly forced the city’s three main opposition broadcasters off the air, according to local journalists and news reports.

Pascal Mulunda, editor of weekly Le Monitor, has been held in Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Center since police officers picked him on Tuesday with an arrest warrant, defense lawyer Joel Awnze Kaloume told CPJ. No date had been set for trial and the defense was requesting Mulunda’s release on bail, Kaloume said.

The arrest was based on a June 26 defamation complaint filed by Baudouin Iheta, an official with the Mining Ministry agency Saesscam, against Le Monitor and weekly Le Baromètre after the newspapers published a June 23 story implicating Iheta in overbilling in the agency’s purchase of four vehicles, he said. Le Baromètre Editor Jeff Saïle, who has gone into hiding, told CPJ he had received anonymous phone threats. 
“Congolese officials must stop trying to hide behind antiquated criminal defamation laws,” said Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. “We call on authorities to free Pascal Mulunda immediately, and decriminalize defamation so that the press can fulfill its role of holding public officials to account.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Canal Congo Télévision (CCTV), Canal Kin Télévision (CKTV) and Radio Liberté Kinshasa (RALIK)—stations owned by exiled opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba—were briefly forced off the air after five armed men in plainclothes stormed Télé Consult, a private Italian telecom company and government contractor, reported local press freedom group Journaliste En Danger (JED). The premises house the broadcast equipment of all television and radio stations in Kinshasa. The men held staffers and guards at gunpoint in Kinshasa’s residential neighborhood of Binza Pigeon and forced them to cut the stations’ signal, according to JED. 

Speaking to CPJ today, Congolese Communications Minister Lambert Mendé Omalanga said police were responsible for the security of the site and that the government was investigating the incident. He told Agence France-Presse there had not been any government involvement.

The attack may have been linked to a news item on Monday evening that raised questions about the government’s management of the Congolese Office of Post and Telecommunications after workers went on strike this month over more than two years of unpaid salaries, said Stéphane Kitutu O’Léontwa, the general manager of CCTV and RALIK. Kitutu told CPJ the signal of the networks’ 11 TV and 24 radio stations was restored this afternoon.

KENYA :

Kenya Data Networks spreads its reach
www.capitalfm.co.ke BY CORRESPONDENT/29072010

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 29 – Kenya Data Networks (KDN) and PCCW Global, a premier telecommunications provider based in Hong Kong have signed a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) Inter-Carrier Interconnection agreement to extend services to more than 110 countries worldwide.

The new technology is faster, compared to the traditional routed networks, which process the information at every router throughout the network. 

The Chief Executive Officer at KDN Rikus Matthyser said that the new technology will speed up the process of sending data through the Multi-Protocol Label Switching, a data packet forwarding technology with improved forwarding speed of routers by using labels to make data forwarding decisions faster.

“When the data enters the first MPLS router, header analysis is done just once and a label is attached to the data packet. Subsequent routers forward the packet by just inspecting the label and so it decreases the forwarding overhead on the subsequent core routers,” said Mr Matthyser.

The firm and PCCW Global are interconnected using the TEAMS and Seacom cable systems via multiple STM4 connections, with Inter-Carrier Interconnection located in Singapore and London. 

The Global Chief Executive Officer of PCCW Marc Halbfinger says: “KDN is our Pan-Africa ICT infrastructure partner of choice. We are confident our cooperation with KDN will strengthen our service coverage as we continue to satisfy the increasing demands for seamless international connectivity and high quality integrated global communications solutions worldwide.”

Through this partnership that leverages on KDN’s regional strength, KDN is now able to offer both Layer 2 Ethernet and Layer 3 MPLS-based VPN services, utilising both the PCCW Global’s network infrastructures.

“In our bid to offer our customers a one-stop-shop for regional and international services, we are happy to partner with PCCW. We are certain that our partnership will provide Kenya and the whole of the East Africa region an invaluable connection to the rest of the world,” adds Mr Matthyser. 

KDN is Kenya’s largest and fastest growing private data carrier and infrastructure provider in the eastern and Central African region. KDN operates a combination of microwave radio and fibre optical links, over which it provides Layer two carrier services (Ethernet, Frame Relay) to corporate customers. 

KDN also houses and maintains a number of international Internet gateways, which it sells to corporate customers such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Kenya Cuts Key Policy Rate To Support Private Sector Investment
7/29/2010/RTTNews

RTTNews) – Kenyan central bank unexpectedly slashed its key policy rate by 75 basis points to 6% to ensure sufficient and affordable credit to private sector investors. 

The monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Kenya said on Wednesday that private investment should be supported with adequate and affordable credit. The central bank was largely expected to leave the rate unchanged.

“Given the low inflation risk, the strengthening growth profile and growing confidence in the economy, the Committee took the view that commercial banks and the private sector needed a strong signal in order to provide them with information that overall downside risks were declining,” the bank said.

Policy makers demanded further reduction in the banks’ lending and base rates. “Even though the banks had generally lowered their base and lending rates, there is scope to lower the rates further,” the committee noted. 

Additionally, the central bank noted that inflation has eased considerably in June and growth indicators pointed to continued strengthening of the economy. Annual inflation in Kenya slowed to 3.2% in June from 5.85% in May, according to official data. The committee also observed that economic growth in the first quarter was a satisfactory 4.4% and indications are that second quarter growth will be “comparable.” 

Upside risks to inflation are still low given the adequate food supply, exchange rate stability and declining energy prices. Furthermore, there is no upward pressure from monetary-driven inflation, the bank observed. The banks and the private sector needed a strong signal to provide them with information that overall downside risks were declining, the MPC noted. 

The rate-setting body, which meets once in every two months, last reviewed its monetary policy in May and decided to retain the bench mark Central Bank Rate, or CBR, at 6.75% after slashing it by 25 points in March. 

In June, the World Bank had observed that Kenya’s economy is recovering steadily and may expand 4% this year. For 2011, the bank projects 4.9% growth. 

by RTT Staff Writer

Kibaki: My stand on Kenya reforms need no defense
Written By:Margaret Kalekye/PPS/www.kbc.co.ke/Thu, Jul 29, 2010

President Mwai Kibaki has said that his stand on reforms and change needs no defense. 

Kibaki in a statement said his strong support for the new Proposed Constitution stands out as testimony to a leader who wants Kenya to move forward to enable the country unleash its vast potential by creating jobs and opportunities for the youthful population. 

The President was reacting to accusations by his predecessor Daniel Moi that he had never lived up to his promise of delivering a new constitution in 100 days during the 2002 presidential campaigns. 

Kibaki said he remained steadfast in his desire to entrench reforms in the country adding that due to his commitment, a consultative constitution review process culminated in the 2005 referendum.

“Despite the 2005 loss, President Kibaki together with members of the Grand Coalition Government began another consultative process that will end at the referendum on August 4th when Kenyans vote for the Proposed Constitution” said the statement.

He added that on 4th August, 2010 Kenyans will have a clear choice of voting for a new constitutional dispensation and entrench the reforms they have long desired.

He maintained that the Grand Coalition Government stands united in its desire to deliver to the Kenyan people a new constitution.

On Tuesday the President without naming Moi told him to keep off the campaigns saying he had never given Kenyans a new law during his tenure as President.

Kibaki at a rally in Embu without naming Mr Moi, said that the retired President was misleading the public and asked him to stop it.

Campaigns

Meanwhile, President Kibaki is Thursday leading a high-powered ‘Yes’ delegation to Western province where is scheduled to address two rallies in Webuye and Muliro gardens. 

The President will first address a public rally at the Pan Paper Webuye at 10.30 am before heading to Muliro gardens in Kakamega to address another rally in the afternoon. 

The President who has been leading the push for the yes vote will Friday move to Rift Valley the stronghold of Higher Education Minister William Ruto. 

He will address a series of rallies to woo voters to support the new law. Kibaki will a
ddress his first rally in the morning at Kapkatet before heading to Suswa grounds in Narok.

Kenyan filmmakers challenged
BY EVELYNE NJOROGE/www.capitalfm.co.ke/Jul 29 

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 29 – Kenyan film makers have been urged to borrow a leaf from Nigeria and India to transform the local industry to start contributing more to economic development.

Information Permanent Secretary Dr Bitange Ndemo said on Wednesday that the industry should capitalise on the demand for local content and produce low-cost movies which can help the industry grow.

“It used to be very difficult for us to watch Nigerian movies but now we do. Nairobi has now started the ‘Riverwood’ which has grown to a point where Kenyans are now buying this local content. This is an important industry that we must look at because it can create many opportunities for employment,” he told participants at a two day Broadcast & Film Africa Conference.

Commonly, known as ‘Nollywood’ the cinema industry in the West African country is the world’s second largest film industry raking in an estimated $300 million per year. Its success has been attributed to the availability of cheap filming and editing technologies which has in turn enabled the film makers to produce affordable movies. 

The PS pointed out that government has put in place requisite legal and regulatory frameworks that should catapult the industry to greater heights. He added that the government hopes that this positive environment will attract investments into the sector and help Nairobi and Kenya in general become of the favourite filming destinations in the world.

The government he added has no desire to intervene in the sector and wanted the players to take it upon themselves to implement certain changes that are needed in the sector. Key among the reforms includes de-linking for example the television channels from the content development, a move that would give power to the producers and spur competition.

He urged the private sector to also use technology and the many delivery channels that exist in the market to diversify into other content and areas that tell the African story in a clear and unbiased way.

“We need to create more diversity to enable us exploit other areas that have not been exploited such as education and other thematic areas such as sport,” the PS advised.

The conference brought together over 60 African and international broadcast and film leaders many of whom will make presentations on a wide range of media industry topics.

The conference programme was designed by Russell Southwood, a leading analyst of the African media sector who lauded Kenya’s decision to impose local content quotas that are broadcast in media houses.

This, coupled with the sector’s liberalisation he said, was the right step in growing the industry was a move forward programming.

ANGOLA :

Japanese banker defends reciprocal protection of investments
7/29/10 /www.portalangop.co.ao

Luanda – The conclusion of the Agreement on Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments between Angola and Japan, being negotiated since November 2009, will stimulate the participation of Japanese firms in the Angolan economic growth.

This was said on Wednesday, in Luanda, by the executive director of Japan’s International Cooperation Bank, Fumio Hoshi. 

The Japanese official, who was speaking at a press conference, stressed that through that agreement companies of both countries will be able to boost their participation in the development of each other’s economy.

Fumio Hoshi, who is leading a Japanese entrepreneurial delegation, revealed that the Japanese firms give much importance to the relation with Angola, because, among other aspects, it has an economy that has grown a lot in the past two years.

The banker said that on the agenda of the delegation he heads it is included discussions regarding the rehabilitation of the textile factory Textang II, the participation of Japanese firms in agricultural and telecommunications projects.

He explained that through the direct investment in the non-oil sector the Japanese firms can give a great contribution to the diversification of the Angolan economy. 

“This can result in a mutually advantageous partnership” he stressed.

The Japanese delegation is in Luanda since Wednesday for a three-day visit, aimed at creating conditions to boost the bilateral cooperation, mainly in the financial and entrepreneurial domains. 

Angola and Japan established diplomatic ties in 1976 and have been cooperating in the areas of transports, public works, health, demining and social reintegration.

Most workers in informal market are women – govt official
7/29/10 /www.portalangop.co.ao

Luanda – Women are the majority in the Angolan informal market, even though they now start to have the same levels of professional responsibility and competences as men.

According to the minister of Family and Promotion of Women, Genoveva Lino, besides the discrimination that they suffer in several social sectors, “the imbalance in terms of educational background causes many of them to resort to low-paid jobs”. 

The minister was speaking at a conference organised in the ambit of the celebrations of African Women’s Day, to be marked on 31 July, at which she delivered a lecture with the theme “Women’s work in the post-independence period”.

The government official reminded that African women, particularly Angolans, still face serious difficulties to be successful in the labour market, reason why they choose the informal one.

In her opinion, this situation is caused by an imbalance in the division of tasks and responsibilities between the genders.

To her, the responsibility of, by herself, taking care of the sustenance and training of the children, forces women to work in the streets as hawkers and in markets, putting their lives and their children’s health at risk. 

The minister also pointed out other factors that have contributed to the existence of a high number of women in the informal sector, such as the lack of employment in urban areas and the strong exodus of people from rural areas to the city.

She assured that with the achievement of peace and the reconstruction process of infrastructures, efforts are being made to provide equal opportunities to all, in the education and employment sectors.

The conference was also attended by the ruling MPLA party’s first provincial secretary for Luanda, Bento Bento, the provincial secretary of the ruling party’s female wing (OMA), Eulália Rocha, Physicians Order chairman, Carlos Pinto de Sousa, among other guests.

SOUTH AFRICA:

South Africa Bond Yields Decline to 2 1/2-Year Low on Rate-Cut Speculation
By Garth Theunissen /www.bloomberg.com/Jul 29, 2010

South African bonds gained, reducing yields to the lowest in almost 2 1/2 years, after a lower-than- expected increase in household borrowing raised speculation the central bank may have room to lower its key interest rate. 

The government’s 13.5 percent security due September 2015 rose for a second day, gaining 12 cents to 124.70 rand, reducing the yield by 3 basis points to 7.57 percent as of 9:31 a.m. in Johannesburg. A close at that level would leave the yield at the lowest level since February 2009. 

Credit extension to South African households and businesses rose an annual 0.92 percent in June compared with a 0.8 percent gain in May, the Reserve Bank said on its website today. The median estimate of 16 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for a gain of 1.1 percent. 

“Subdued credit data, together with a better-than-expected CPI inflation outcome yesterday, could justify lower interest rates,” Michael Keenan, a currency strategist at Standard Bank Group Ltd. in Johannesburg, wrote in a client note. 

Price growth in Africa’s biggest economy has decelerated for 15 of the past 16 months as a bumper corn crop and the rand’s almost 29 percent rally since the beginning of 2009 helped curb inflation. 

Inflation slowed to 4.2 percent in June from 4.6 percent the previous month, lower than the 4.5 percent predicted in a Bloomberg survey, a report showed yesterday. The central bank has reduced its key rate by 5.5 percentage points since December 2008, leaving it unchanged at 6.5 percent on July 22. 

Rand 

Policy makers may decide to leave the rate unchanged “at least until September 2011” as unions drive up wages, according to Keenan. Even so, that would leave borrowing costs at the lowest level since the central bank first began using the repurchase rate in 1999. 

The rand strengthened 0.3 percent to 7.3160 per dollar, from a close of 7.3381 yesterday. Against the euro, the rand lost less than 0.1 percent to 9.5337. 

Money-market investors increased bets that South Africa’s central bank will lower its main rate when it next meets on Sept. 9, forward-rate agreements show. The cost of three-month contracts for cash in three months fell 1.5 basis points from yesterday’s close to 6.225 percent.

British scientist shot dead in car-jacking at petrol station in South Africa
By Mail Foreign Service/www.dailymail.co.uk/ 29th July 2010

A British scientist has been shot dead in a car-jacking as he filled his vehicle up at a petrol station in South Africa.
Rory Smart was killed by a man who walked up to him holding a 9mm handgun at a forecourt in the Johannesburg suburb of Booysens.

The 61-year-old, who was born and brought up in the Black Isle near Inverness, was shot once in the chest before his attacker stole his black BMW 320i and drove off in the car.

The chemical scientist died at the scene.

Two witnesses hid in the forecourt shop as the Aberdeen University graduate was shot dead.

Police in Johannesburg are investigating the murder and said the crime had been caught on CCTV.

The car was found abandoned several hours later in the Soweto area of the city.

Detective Constable Mathabo Mosoeunyane, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘We are working on getting images of the suspect from the footage, which we hope to release.
‘We have interviewed witnesses and we took fingerprints from Mr Smart’s car, which was found abandoned in the middle of the street.’

Mr Smart had worked in South Africa for more than 20 years and last visited the Highlands at Christmas.

He planned to retire as technical director of a mining support company in Johannesburg next year and return to the Black Isle.

Mr Smart still owned his family home in Fortrose. It has been rented out for the past four years.

Relatives and neighbours last night told of their shock at his violent death.

Amy Smart, 23, of Holm Dell Park, Inverness, said: ‘My dad Norman was Rory’s cousin. I’ve never met him, he was a distant relative, but it is still a big shock.
‘All I’ve heard so far is that he was shot dead in an incident in South Africa. We don’t know what else is happening at the moment but it is a terrible thing.’

His long-time neighbour, George Taylor, said: ‘He was a very nice chap, really. I would describe him as quiet but very intelligent.

‘He used to come back to the village about once a year. The last time he was back was about Christmas. He used to just stay in bed and breakfasts in the area.

‘Rory told us that he had been attacked and mugged twice within the last five years or so. He was very security-conscious because of living in South Africa.

‘It is just so sad to hear that he has been killed like this.’
Mr Taylor’s wife, Marjorie, added: ‘One of the times he was back he told us about how he had to have high walls and barbed wires around his house because of the crime threat in South Africa.’

Colleagues at Minova RSA, the company Mr Smart had worked for since 1987, held a memorial service for the man they knew as Rod.

Mr Smart developed cement liners and sprays used to secure mine shafts across South Africa.

Jan Franek, group technology general manager for Minova, said: ‘Rod was really a highly-respected employee with friends and colleagues around the world. He was a world expert in cement and grouting systems. We will use the results of his scientific and research work for many years to come.’

In a eulogy at the memorial service, director of Minova’s South African operations, Donald O’Connor, said Mr Smart had ‘left his mark’. 

He added: ‘Rod was planning to retire at the end of this year, although I have a strong suspicion that he would have remained active in his field and we would probably still be calling on his advice for many years to come.

‘He had a few really clever rock-support ideas and we hope that we will be able to honour his legacy by bringing them to fruition.’

Mr Smart was killed on July 18. His body has still to be flown back from South Africa

Gauteng tops in HIV testing
– SAPA/2010-07-29 

Johannesburg – About 340 000 people have taken part in Gauteng’s HIV-testing campaign since it started in April, the provincial health department said on Wednesday.

This made the province the leader in the number of people tested so far at public health facilities, spokesperson Mandla Sidu said.

The department aimed to test 3.3 million people by June 2011, part of its efforts to encourage healthy living, for people to know their HIV status and check for TB, diabetes and high blood pressure.

People’s fear was the department’s main problem.

“People do not want to be tested because they are fearful they will receive a death sentence from this disease,” Sidu said.

The department also planned to increase the number of antiretroviral treatment sites from around 140 to 200 at clinics by the end of the week.

Currently more than 303 000 patients, including 22 830 children, were on ARV treatment in the province.

To qualify for ARV treatment, a person had to have a white blood cell count of less than 200 per cubic millimetre of blood, also known as a CD4 count. A person co-infected with HIV and TB had to have a CD4 count of less than 350. 

All pregnant mothers with HIV were eligible for treatment at 14 weeks. All HIV-positive babies and children were also eligible.

AFRICA / AU :

African Union Summit
2010-07-29/english.ntdtv.com

Just a few minutes away from a blast that killed 76 people in Uganda earlier this month, delegates in the African Union debating increasing the role of the organization’s military force.

The African Union (AU) will likely remove the cap on the number of troops in AMISOM, but probably will not get permission to attack al-Shabaab in Somalia, which claimed responsibility for the blast.

AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping.

[Jean Ping, African Union Commission Chairman]:
“We need additional equipment adapted to the new mandate into attack instead of defence. So we need this equipment and we have asked for five helicopters already for that.”

The summit also addressed the ICC International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges.

President of Malawi and current chairman of the AU Bingu wa Mutharika says the warrant undermines African solidarity.

[Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi and AU Chairperson]:
“The issuance of a warrant of arrest for his excellency al-Bashir, a duly elected president of the Sudan, is a violation of the principles of sovereignty. To subject a sovereign head of state to a warrant of arrest is undermining African solidarity and African peace and security that we fought for, for so many years.”

African countries are divided about whether they should arrest al-Bashir.

Some African leaders say the ICC is obsessed with prosecuting Africans and ignores war criminals on other continents.

Lack of funding threatens the future of HIV drug therapy in the developing world
By David Brown/Washington Post Staff Writer /Thursday, July 29, 2010 

Ten years ago, many experts thought you couldn’t bring antiretroviral therapy to people with AIDS in poor countries. The drugs cost too much, there weren’t enough doctors, the patients wouldn’t take the medicines correctly, and the risk of creating a resistant virus was too high. 

None of that turned out to be true. About 5.2 million people with HIV infections are on lifesaving treatment in low- and middle-income countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, antiretroviral therapy, much of it paid for by the U.S. government, is resurrecting whole communities. 

But the world is facing a potentially more intractable problem: the price of success. 

There’s barely enough money to pay for people whose treatment is underway and who will need it for a lifetime. There isn’t enough to start treatment for about 5 million more who urgently need it. 

Those new concerns about costs dominated the 18th International AIDS Conference, which drew 19,300 participants from 193 countries to Vienna last week. 

“If I were to characterize the mood here, I would say it was a combination of rage and panic,” said Joanne Carter, director of the anti-poverty group Results and a board member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 

The rage is directed at the Obama administration, which many activists say is reneging on a commitment to continue big annual increases in global AIDS spending. The panic arises from the knowledge that in some African countries, patients who want antiretroviral treatment are being turned away and will soon start dying. 

Some activists pine for former president George W. Bush, who launched a much-praised multibillion-dollar fund to fight AIDS around the world. But now, in the eyes of many, the U.S. government has replaced the pharmaceutical industry as the main impediment to progress. 

“The paradox is that the United States government and other funding partners have decided to either flat-line or reduce their spending just when funding should be ramped up so we could actually win the battle,” said Paul Zeitz, director of the Global AIDS Alliance. 

U.S. overseas AIDS funding is part of the Global Health Initiative (GHI), the Obama administration’s $63 billion, six-year program. The portion devoted to HIV and tuberculosis, an infection to which AIDS patients are particularly prone, is $44 billion. The rest goes to malaria, maternal and child-health programs, and the hard-to-define goal of “health systems strengthening.” Although larger than Bush’s revolutionary President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Obama’s GHI is spread across more agencies. It is less a bullet aimed at the heart of AIDS than a net cast to capture a flock of health problems. 

“What it takes to save lives of those with HIV and those most at risk to contract it is a comprehensive approach that recognizes the roles of other diseases,” Gayle Smith, Obama’s special assistant for development and democracy, wrote on the White House blog last week. 

An unmet need

AIDS activists say nobody should doubt that the need for treatment among the 33.4 million people infected with HIV globally is urgent and largely unmet. 

The United Nations agency UNAIDS estimates that $23.6 billion was needed to address the epidemic in low- and middle-income countries last year. Yet only $15.9 billion was available from all sources, public and private. The U.S. government provided 27 percent of that money, mostly through PEPFAR, which Bush started in 2003 with a then-staggering commitment to spend $15 billion on prevention and treatment over five years. 

The United States has been by far the biggest donor of money for AIDS treatment to the world’s poor, last year providing 58 percent of the $7.6 billion given by governments. Britain, a distant second, gave 10 percent of the total. Japan, with the world’s third-largest economy, contributed 2 percent. 

This international AIDS assistance has climbed steadily from $1.2 billion in 2002 to last year’s $7.6 billion. The cost of treating someone with HIV infection has fallen even more dramatically. In 2000, three-drug antiretroviral therapy cost about $10,000 a year. With concessionary pricing and the use of generics, it’s now $120 for the world’s poorest patients. 

The trouble, activists say, is that the big gains in generosity and economizing have mostly stopped. International AIDS assistance was the same in 2008 and 2009, and is not expected to go up much, if any, this year. The White House request for global AIDS spending for the next fiscal year is only 2 percent higher than what is being spent this year. 

Although there’s argument about the exact numbers, there’s little doubt the Obama administration is on track to spend less than planned by either the GHI or the Lantos-Hyde Act of 2008, which renewed PEPFAR and authorized spending $48 billion from 2009 through 2013. Many other donor countries are taking a similar go-slower approach. 

A matter of principle

Still, the need to increase AIDS treatment in those places is a matter of principle, the activists say. They note that Obama supported the Lantos-Hyde Act as a senator and campaigned on a promise of increasing overseas AIDS spending. 

“Bush made a commitment, and then circumstances changed. Despite the change, he kept his word,” said Zeitz of the Global AIDS Alliance. 

Many AIDS experts and activists also argue that treatment is an important prevention tool. That’s because when a person is successfully on antiretroviral therapy, HIV virtually disappears from body fluids, greatly reducing the possibility that the patient will infect others. 

The GHI “recognizes that we can’t treat our way out of the HIV-AIDS epidemic,” Ezekiel J. Emanuel, the president’s special adviser for health policy, wrote in the Huffington Post during the conference in Vienna. “The key to ending it is to reduce the number of those who become HIV-positive in the long term — and that takes improving their overall health and the health systems around them.” 

Word of the funding constraints is reaching villages and clinics. 

A letter sent in October from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instructed PEPFAR partners in Uganda that they “should only enroll new patients if they are sure that these new patients can continue to be supported without a future increase in funding.” Carter, the Global Fund board member, said she met a woman at the AIDS conference who works in that country and testified to the reappearance of things not seen in years. 

“She is starting to see people die because they don’t have access to antiretrovirals. She is also seeing people sharing medicines,” Carter said. “The fact is, this crisis isn’t looming. It’s happening.”

AU to Beef Security in Somalia
www.mediacentre.go.ug/Thursday, 29 July 2010 

The 15th Summit of the African Union Heads of State and Government has today ended in Kampala with a call to member countries to double their efforts in ensuring that the continent will, in 5 years time, become prosperous and strong enough to be a better trading partner with the G-8 countries.

The 3-day Summit was attended by the host President Yoweri Museveni and his wife Janet Museveni drew over 35 Heads of State and Government from across Africa as well as well wishers from several areas outside the continent including the President of Mexico Mr. Felipe Calderon.

The Chairperson of the African Union and President of Malawi, Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, in his closing remarks, noted that the future of the world lies in Africa. He reiterated his optimism that once Africa addresses the food security issue, the continent will in 5 years feed the world.
“That is not exaggerated, it is a reality. Africa is the future of the world,” he stressed.

President Bingu wa Mutharika, however, commended the Heads of State and Government of member countries of Africa for their positive contributions that led to the success of the Kampala AU Summit. He added that the Summit reached meaningful conclusions, especially in the area of Safe motherhood and the health of the child in Africa but noted that what remains is for the AU member countries to implement those resolutions.

“I believe we have the will to do so to bring about the social and economic transformation of our continent. As a new beginning, we should look at Africa from a different point of view, not Africa that is seen as that of wars, hunger, HIV/AIDS mothers and children dying,” he said.

President Mutharika also pointed out the issue of peace and security on the continent and said it must be maintained. He thanked countries that have sent their soldiers to Somalia and other countries to bring peace to Africa.

“I thank those countries doing so much to send their troops to the battle fields to bring peace to Africa. We want the United Nations to have faith that Africa is capable of solving her problem,” he said

He cited countries like Sudan, Madagascar, Niger, Zimbabwe and others to which the AU is making contributions in restoring peace.

President wa Mutharika commended President Museveni, the Government and the people of Uganda for the warm hospitality accorded to the African leaders Heads of State and delegations to the Summit.

The Libyan leader, Col. Moamer el Gadhaffi, in his brief contribution, thanked President Museveni, the government and people of Uganda for organising a very successful summit. He said that Africa is becoming very complementary and will indeed become a United States of Africa.
E ND S

Civilian Casualties Dog Troops in Somalia
Marketgoers Are Caught in Crossfire; U.S. Raises Concerns
By SARAH CHILDRESS /online.wsj.com/JULY 29, 2010

African and U.S. officials reaffirmed their support this week for the African Union-led battle against al Shabaab, the Islamist militant group that controls much of Somalia. But these international efforts are being hobbled as African troops come under criticism for indiscriminately shelling Somali civilians.

The battle to bring stability to long-lawless Somalia, and to win the sympathy of its people, has played out in a giant open-air market in Mogadishu, where Somalis who buy vegetables, spaghetti, clothing and fuel are now caught in the crossfire. 

The al Shabaab militants that control vast swaths of Somalia and its capital effectively run Bakara market, Mogadishu’s largest. From positions within, they fire mortars toward African Union Mission in Somalia, or Amisom, troops. 

Amisom troops have fired back even when civilians are at risk, according to a U.S. official and some AU officials. AU officials said privately that Amisom shelling of populated areas like Bakara market had resulted in civilian casualties. 

“We have a problem with return fire,” said one AU official. “It’s become a real, serious issue.”

That issue comes amid increasing international scrutiny of al Shabaab, which has shown signs of expanding from domestic militants to a terrorist group with more international ambitions. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for three July 11 suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, that killed 76 people. U.S. and African officials believe the group has personnel and funding links with al Qaeda.

The fight against al Shabaab was on the agenda at this week’s African Union summit in Kampala, where U.S. and African officials confirmed their support for some 6,000 Amisom troops in Somalia. U.S. officials raised the issue of civilian casualties with Amisom officials in Kampala, said Johnnie Carson, the top U.S. diplomat on African affairs. The U.S. is Amisom’s biggest donor. 

The civilian casualties have led to flagging support inside Somalia for Amisom, which had enjoyed popular support in Mogadishu for fending off al Shabaab and establishing a health clinic. 

The deaths also created a public-relations victory for al Shabaab. The militant group became popular by fighting troops from neighboring Ethiopia during that nation’s two-year occupation of Somalia. But more recently, it began coordinating with foreign fighters to attack civilians and enforcing brutal punishments for minor infractions, measures that have caused it to lose support and financing from Somalis.

In part to regain its populist ground, al Shabaab has sought to reposition itself as a defender of Somalis against foreign invaders—this time Amisom forces who mainly come from Uganda and Burundi. The militant group said it had organized the recent bombings in Uganda in retribution for the deaths of Somali citizens in Amisom shelling. 

Mr. Carson said U.S. and AU officials discussed how the troops might use technology to increase accuracy in AU counterattacks, as well as using better intelligence to pre-empt attacks. He and other U.S. officials declined to offer any specifics on how the U.S. might assist with those efforts. The U.S. assists in training AU troops, but so far it hasn’t said it would offer additional funding.

Another U.S. official said the focus for now was to encourage Amisom to avoid shelling civilian areas. “We’re not making threats at this point,” the official said. “Our course is to try to get them to show more restraint.”

An Amisom spokesman declined to make anyone from Amisom available for an interview.

U.S. officials hope that an increased number of Amisom troops—the West African nation of Guinea pledged nearly 2,000 more this week—would allow the force to push al Shabaab out of heavily populated areas, including Bakara market.

Al Shabaab moved into Bakara market two years ago. The militants levy a high tax on traders who sell their wares there. Locals say those who refuse have been murdered, their severed heads left next to their bodies in the dusty streets as a warning to others who might defy the militants.

The market still bustles with people who gather to buy and sell products and use money-transfer services. Goods are cheaper here, and it is often the only place to buy medicines and other necessities in this war-torn city. When shells hit, the devastation is great. Residents hold both sides responsible for the carnage. 

“We are like insects to Amisom,” Farhia Ali Nur, a 42-year-old vegetable grocer in Bakara market, said by telephone. 

Mrs. Nur said she lost her oldest son last year after a mortar shell landed on her house near the market. In the blast, shrapnel ripped through her husband’s leg, making him unable to work. Mrs. Nur had to become the family breadwinner, she said. “They massacre us, and then deny it. Why don’t they pursue al Shabaab instead of shelling us?”

—Abdinasir Mohamed contributed to this article.

Sudan E. Equatoria women parliamentarians’ caucus formed
Thursday 29 July 2010/By Julius N. Uma/TORIT/www.sudantribune.com

July 28, 2010 (TORIT) — Women Parliamentarians should not only lobby and advocate for the 25 percent affirmative action at all levels, but also enhance networking between lawmakers both from within and outside Sudan, an experience-sharing workshop resolved recently.

The three-day workshop, held in the Eastern Equatoria State (EES) capital Torit, targeted both the state women legislators and their counterparts from the Juba-based Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA).

The seminar; the first in post-Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) era, was based on the theme, “enhancing the engagement of women in electoral politics in Eastern Equatoria State’.

Organized by the Women Parliamentarian Caucus in collaboration with IKV Pax Christi, the workshop’s main objectives centred on providing space for the legislators to share experiences, network with other legislators from SSLA and affirm women’s leadership role in EES.

Felix O. Osiro, the Torit County Commissioner described the workshop as “an important initiative” that would go a long way towards empowering the legislators.

On his part, however, the EES Assembly Speaker, Hon. Emmanuel Ambrose Ocholimoi and his Deputy Hon. Paul Napon both lauded IKV Pax Christi for organizing the three-day workshop, describing it as “timely”.

The duo encouraged legislators to understand parliamentary rules and procedures, including the country’s laws, if they are effectively perform their functions.

While narrating Sudan’s historical perspective, the EES Deputy Governor of EES, H.E Nartisio Loluke Manir, applauded the initiative, saying the interests of most disadvantaged women have partially been addressed through the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

“Women have historically had no space in the political arena due to cultural and religious norms but [the] CPA and the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan both challenge the status quo and provide for 25 percent affirmative action,” he said.

According to the EES Deputy Governor, the state government remains committed towards empowering women, with special focus on the girl-child education policy meant to boost girls’ enrolment in schools.

Mariam Ayoti Kundu, the EES Programme Manager for Sudan Integrated Peace-building Programme (SIPP) stressed the need for strengthening the legislative arm of government to enhance their effective roles as lawmakers.

Citing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and recently enacted South Sudan laws such as the Local Government Act 2009, Judiciary Act 2008, and Land Act 2009, Kundu said it was important to engage lawmakers in linking voices and experiences from communities at grassroots to higher levels.

“Without laws, there cannot be proper functional systems of governance and without which there cannot be peace,” she remarked.

Currently, IKV Pax Christi is reportedly implementing the SIPP programme in Eastern and Central Equatoria, Jonglei and Upper Nile states, in addition to other programmes like the cross-border peace and sports programme as well as the Horn of Africa network and the mediation programme.

The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) co-financed the three-day workshop, which was facilitated by the Kenya-based Education Center for Women in Democracy (ECWD).

Previously, ECWD facilitated similar workshops and trainings in Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Ethiopia.

(ST)

AMISOM capture key Mogadishu positions
29 July, 2010/www.newvision.co.ug

By Joshua Kato 
in Somalia 

JULY was a fruitful month militarily for peacekeepers and Somali government forces, a spokesman said. 

AMISOM, as the peace-keepers are called, and the transitional government forces took over six sites from al-Shabaab militants and reduced the bases from which the Islamists had launched attacks against their side, Maj. Ba-Hoku Barigye, the AMISOM spokeperson, told The New Vision team in Mogadishu on Tuesday. 

The peacekeepers, comprising Burundi and Ugandan troops, also secured the State House and Parliament, captured Urubah and Juba hotels and are now in control of the key positions near the African village in the city centre. 

On Monday, Guinea and Djibouti delegates at the just-concluded African Union summit in Kampala pledged to send 4,000 troops to beef up the 6,000 peacekeepers in Mogadishu. 

“We have made inroads into the northern part of Mogadishu, which was not the case before,” Barigye said. 
Over 18 al-Shabaab fighters and an unknown number of civilians were killed in the battle. One AMISOM Kaspir armored personnel carrier was also damaged. 

When AMISOM forces occupied Juba Hotel, one of the largest buildings in Mogadishu, al-Shabaab fighters withdrew to the interior ministry building, a kilometre away, from where they were launching attacks on the peacekeepers. 

“That building is a problem to us,” Col. Michael Odonga, the Ugandan contingent commander, said during a visit to the site last Saturday. 

By Monday morning, however, the peacekeepers had taken control of the building from the Islamists who have claimed responsibility for the bomb explosions which killed 77 people in Kampala about two weeks ago. 
Under urban warfare, tall buildings are like high grounds in rural warfare. AMISOM was constantly under attack from the top of Juba Hotel and bank buildings. 

“They used to fire at the airport, the seaport and Base Camp, the main AMISOM base in Mogadishu,” Ondoga said during an interview at Juba Hotel. 

A source intimated that AMISOM had asked for authority from the transitional government to attack the building with heavier weapons, but the request was turned down. 

However, al-Shabaab continued using it to snipe at AMISOM forces in Juba Hotel and that is when the decision to attack it was made.

UN /ONU :

New sites on world heritage list soon
Indo-Asian News Service/www.hindustantimes.com/July 29, 2010

Brasilia, July 29, 2010

Representatives from over 100 countries will meet here to discuss the inclusion of new sites in the Unesco World Heritage List. This year, 32 new sites have been submitted for inclusion in the world heritage list: six natural, 24 cultural and two mixed (both natural and cultural at the same 
time).

The sites include Darwin’s Landscape Laboratory in Britain, palaeolithic rock art ensemble in Siega Verde, shared by Portugal and Spain, historic monuments in Dengfeng in China’s Henan province and the Ngorogoro Conservation Area in Tanzania.

Brazil’s Culture Minister Joao Luiz Silva Ferreira, who is also president of the World Heritage Committee, stressed the importance of government action and expressed concern over threats economic growth could impose on the heritage.

“We need a very clear commitment to enhance government action and establish strict criteria to ensure the preservation,” he was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will also attend the meeting, which will take place between July 25 and Aug 3.

Currently, the World Heritage List recognises 890 sites of “outstanding universal value”, located in 148 countries.

USA :

Suspected pirates plead not guilty to new charges
(AP) /29072010

NORFOLK, Va. — Eleven Somali nationals accused in separate pirate attacks on U.S. Navy ships off Africa have pleaded not guilty in Virginia to a new indictment.

The U.S. attorney’s office said the defendants entered their pleas Wednesday to new charges that were in an indictment earlier this month.

Six of the men are accused in the April 10 attack on the USS Ashland. Five are charged with an alleged April 1 attack on the USS Nicholas. The Virginia-based ships were patrolling pirate-infested waters off Africa.

If convicted of a piracy charge, the suspects would face a mandatory life term.

An Oct. 19 trial date was scheduled for the Ashland defendants, while a Nov. 9 trial was scheduled for those accused in the alleged Nicholas attack.

Will Obama Administration Screw Africa, Like All The Rest?
Black Star News Editorial /July 29th, 2010 

Policy Adrift As Administration Sides With Africa’s Enemies–The Corrupt Leaders

There comes a moment in a lifetime when one has an opportunity to break with the bad old ways in order to open a great new future.

That moment is still at hand for President Barack Obama with respect to U.S. relations with the African continent. His decisions could free millions of Africans from bondage — the one imposed for decades now by African dictators often with Western collusion– save millions of lives in avoided bloodshed, and help unleash the great reservoir wherein Africa’s vast potential has been condemned.

President Obama started that journey last August in Accra, Ghana. He vowed he would help Africans discard the bad old ways. Yet today, the U.S. seems fully vested in that terrible type of past relationship with African countries–assisting and abetting genocidal regimes. 

Rather than becoming a friend of Africans –the millions of ordinary Africans who yearn for democracy– the U.S. is again acting like an enemy of Africa by embracing tyrannical regimes.

In Accra last August, Obama had said gone were the days of the African strongman. Yes, Africa’s growth was stunted and there had never been a tradition of democratic governance due to colonial rule, Obama noted. True as these historical injustices had been, African countries could no longer use them as excuses, he added. 

Not because they were not legitimate grievances; but because the world’s compassion had dissipated and the approach would yield no fruits.

Now, Africans had to seize the day–the new generation of Africans; the young; the women; the entrepreneurs; the scientists; and, in other words, the next generation– in order to create a new destiny. 

The Big Men had had their days.

In a globalized economy, with investment choices, who –apart from the corrupt Western multi nationals that finance genocide in Congo, via Rwanda and Uganda– would want to sink funds in environments dominated by corruption and embezzlement?

The true Africa –the Africa which remains merely “potential” — could only be unleashed through regular and established transfer of political power; transparency; the rule of law; and, accountability. An American president was finally inviting the African continent to join the global community. 

African countries –and the leadership– would no longer be evaluated based on a lower standard. It was the end of paternalism and an end to coddling dictators who served U.S. interests while brutalizing their African countrywomen and men while spiriting billions of dollars of embezzled funds abroad.

And all of Africa –except the dictators and their acolytes– welcomed President Obama’s Accra, Ghana speech.

But the speech remains rosy words in the sky.

President Obama has the choice of either doing the right thing, or pulling another Bill Clinton on Africa. The former U.S. President, instead of conditioning U.S. financial and military assistance to African countries based on, to what extent the leadership embraced democratization and the rule of law, simply created,
out of thin air, “a new breed of African leaders.”

Clinton knew the leaders –Paul Kagame in Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni in Uganda, and Meles Zenawi in Ethiopia– represented the anti-thesis of democratization and the rule of law. Yet, Clinton simply coined a phrase that the imbecilic corporate media embraced and suddenly all was good.

Millions lost African lives later, these bad old leaders still run the show in these African countries, with U.S. financial and military assistance. Rwanda is on the verge of holding a bogus presidential “election” with the opposition political parties’ leaders either exiled, under house arrest, or six feet under: And it seems that the U.S. is preparing to recognize the outcome of the “election.” 

This is abominable and harkens to the days when here in the United States, elections used to be held in the Southern States while Black voters were either barred from voting, being lynched, being “disappeared,” or showered with water cannons.

Ethiopia has already held its sham elections that have been recognized by the United States. The Ethiopian regime has sold itself as a frontline state against expansion of Islamism in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia’s army was permitted to commit war crimes in Somalia during its U.S.-backed occupation.

Zenawi has a blank check — business as usual.

In Uganda a genocidal dictator, General Museveni, who also happens to be a racist — he once told The Atlantic Monthly Magazine that Black people who were captured into slavery were “stupid” — has similarly prostituted his country’s army to serve as policeman on behalf of the United States, in Somalia. Notwithstanding the fact that the same Uganda army had been found liable by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2005 for what amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The court awarded Congo $10 billion in compensation, of which a dime has yet to be paid.

So, an army that had committed terrorism in Congo was sent to keep the peace in Somalia? Even by the contemptuous double standards reserved only for Africa this was exceedingly obnoxious. No wonder most African countries refused to join this charade which has been disguised as an “African Union” force. 

Now, lo and behold, Uganda’s soldiers in Somalia are reportedly indiscriminately shelling civilian areas in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. Also look for General Museveni to use the recent terrorist bombings in Kampala, reportedly by al-Shabab, the Somali militants, as justification as he crushes domestic pressure from pro-democracy forces heading into the presidential election of 2011.

The United States once again –in its narrow quest to satisfy strictly U.S. interests– is on the wrong side of history in Africa.

It’s true that President Obama inherited the U.S. Africa policy –hypocrisy: aiding and abetting genocidal dictators while calling them “allies”– from George W. Bush, who in turn inherited the policy from Bill Clinton.

But this is now Obama time.

The African continent — victimized and brutalized by foreign powers and never allowed to fulfill its own destiny for centuries– deserves better. What better way than to start this transformation under the watch of a leader who traces his lineage directly to central Africa.

So, will President Obama deliver on his own Accra Speech or will be pull another Bill Clinton against Africa?

President Obama still has time to answer this question.

“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

CANADA :

On the street, you can see the harm caused by drug laws
By David Bratzer, Citizen Special/www.ottawacitizen.com/July 29, 2010 

Like many other police officers, I have witnessed the tragedy of the HIV epidemic first hand. It is one thing to read the statistics demonstrating the connection between illicit drug use and HIV; it is another matter entirely to patrol the streets, day in and day out, repeatedly arresting men and women infected with the HIV virus. 

Our country has one of the finest health-care systems in the world, but our laws surrounding drug use result in unnecessary disease and death. 

In this context, the recent announcement of the Vienna Declaration has bolstered my conviction that drug prohibition is a national policy failure. 

The document, inspired by an international team of leading health scientists and academic physicians, is the official declaration of this month’s International AIDS Conference in Vienna. It presents an important scientific fact that I see reflected in my work every day: “The criminalization of illicit drug users is fuelling the HIV epidemic and has resulted in overwhelmingly negative health and social consequences.” 

The declaration calls for a “full policy reorientation.” This should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of drug use. It is simply a recognition that drug law enforcement is not an effective deterrent, citing studies showing “there is no evidence that increasing the ferocity of law enforcement meaningfully reduces the prevalence of drug use.” 

It is also a recognition that drug law enforcement is contributing directly to the HIV epidemic. In most parts of the world, approximately one in three HIV infections can be traced back to intravenous drug use. Toronto, Ottawa, Surrey, Winnipeg and other Canadian cities are not immune. 

Drug prohibition increases the rate of HIV infections. When illegal drugs are sold through the black market, the only concern is making money. There is no financial incentive for traffickers to provide drug education, counselling or harm reduction services such as sterile needles. 

In addition, in parts of Canada it is common for an injection drug user to be arrested for a minor drug charge and end up with a court-imposed condition to abstain from possessing drug paraphernalia. Addicts are then forced to choose whether to carry sterile needles and risk a new criminal charge, or to share a needle with another addict who may already have a blood-borne disease. 

The Vienna Declaration is particularly important within Canada. Bill S-10 is before Parliament. It is the federal government’s third attempt in as many years to create mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offences. 

The wording of this legislation virtually guarantees that street-level drug addicts will find themselves going to jail for lengthy prison terms. This will do nothing but channel limited tax dollars away from health and education and into costly incarceration policies which will turn petty drug users into hardened criminals. 

HIV prevention efforts will be hampered if this bill passes. The HIV infection rates in federal prisons are similar to some African countries, according to the statistics provided by the Correctional Service of Canada. So, for many of these addicts, part of their sentence will include a substantial risk of contracting HIV or Hepatitis C. 

Of course, the Vienna Declaration is not the first time a major initiative has been announced to coincide with the biannual International AIDS Conference. Ten years ago, the Durban Declaration stated a basic scientific truth: that HIV is the cause of AIDS. More than 5,000 scientists and medical doctors signed the document in an effort to confront AIDS denialism. 

The main critic of the Durban Declaration was Thabo Mbeki, who was president of South Africa at the time. He believed, mistakenly, that there was a causal link between poverty and AIDS. In fact it is HIV that causes AIDS. His denials, rooted in ignorance and willful blindness, have cost many lives in South Africa. 

Given this history, it will be interesting to see who opposes the Vienna Declaration. Police lobby groups have traditionally been the most vocal critics of drug policy reform. In this instance, however, they should choose their responses carefully. At stake is the very credibility of these organizations. They risk being remembered in the same light as President Mbeki, for it is clear that the new AIDS denialism is the failure to acknowledge the realities of HIV transmission. 

The Vienna Declaration will play a significant role in HIV policy, and I am proud to have signed the document online at viennadeclaration.com. 

I can only hope that my colleagues in law enforcement will be inspired to do the same. 

David Bratzer is a member of the board of directors for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and a police officer in British Columbia. The opinions expressed in this column do not represent the views of his employer.

AUSTRALIA :

EUROPE :

EU Backs Off on EPA
Servaas van den Bosch/IPS/Jul 29

WINDHOEK, Jul 29 (IPS) – European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has appeased leading European civil society organisations about the negotiations for a Southern African economic partnership agreement (EPA), promising “not to put undue pressure” on countries.

According to Marc Maes, trade policy officer at 11.11.11, the move signals an “EPA-fatigue” in Europe. 11.11.11, the Flemish North-South Movement working against poverty, protested about the European Commission’s treatment of Namibia. 

“The EU has no intention to put undue pressure on Namibia to sign and implement the interim EPA,” de Gucht wrote in a response to a Jun 18 letter by 30 influential European civil society organisations (CSOs). 

Negotiations for an EPA have dragged on since 2002 when the Cotonou agreement redefined trade relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries according to World Trade Organisation (WTO) directives. 

In their letter the CSOs argued that Namibia is put under severe pressure by the Europeans to move forward with the negotiations, to the detriment of their development goals. 

“The signing of the interim EPA would have serious impacts on agricultural and industrial development in Namibia. Among other consequences the country would have to forfeit the policy option of using export taxes on raw materials and an important incentive for value addition of raw materials and as a potentially important new source of income,” noted the CSOs. 

In his reply de Gucht tried to allay their concerns, stating: “The EU will continue to engage with Namibia, as well as with the whole SADC EPA group in a constructive spirit as in the past. The objective is to negotiate an agreement that serves the region’s best interest.” SADC stands for the Southern African Development Community. 

The commissioner also emphasised the benefits of duty-and-tariff free access for the countries of the region. 

But, according to Maes, the realisation has dawned in Europe that the negotiations need to be concluded before the Third Africa-EU summit in November 2010 in Libya. 

“There is an EPA-fatigue manifesting itself in Europe after eight years of intense negotiations. The European Commission has take on extra responsibilities, such as developing a comprehensive investment policy. It is eager to close this chapter and will be keen to make the Libya summit a show of harmony not marred by tense negotiations on trade,” Maes told IPS from Brussels. 

He predicts the EU will bow to the realities on the ground in Southern Africa, putting some of the more contentious demands on the backburner until the region is ready to negotiate clauses on liberalisation of services and investment. 

“From the outset the obstacles in the talks were caused by the EU’s assumption that the EPAs are the best option for development of the ACP countries,” says Maes. “But these negotiations are not at all about what is best for the countries and rather about to what extent they are willing to sign up to the European recipe.” 

According to Maes, the negotiating mandate the EU uses is far beyond what the Cotonou agreement requires. “These very poor countries simply don’t have the infrastructure, institutions and regional economic integration to support such a far-reaching trade agreement.” 

Some of the provisions, like the contentious most favoured nation (MFN) clause — that requires SADC EPA countries to extend the same preferences to the EU it grants to third parties under future trade agreements — have little to do with sustainable development, argues Maes. 

“It’s a purely offensive strategy to protect European interests and to prevent that, for instance, Africa turns around and offers the U.S. a better deal.” 

The decision by the SADC EPA configuration’s trade ministers gathered in Gaborone in June 2010 to postpone the liberalisation of services till 2014 will certainly be revisited by the EC, expects Maes. “This is not a done deal, the EC will try to move the services issue forward.” 

Still he expects the EC is eager to quietly find a way out of the predicament before November, with talks set to resume in August. “I hope this means that after eight years of negotiations the EU finally accepts it has to make a deal based on what is politically, economically and institutionally possible in the countries.” 

Namibian trade analyst Wallie Roux also expects that the region will use the Libya summit to increase pressure on the EC to close a deal. “The negotiating strategy of Namibia and the other countries will be to try to corner the EU in the short term and to engage the Commission as soon as possible,” he predicts. 

As for the contentious issues, Roux foresees a problem with the definition of parties, which practically requires the insertion of Mozambique and Angola into the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), as well as with the MFN clause. 

“Currently the clause applies to all countries that constitute 1.5 percent of world trade. If the EU is willing to move this up to five percent, at least South- South trade will be somewhat excluded.” 

Similarly, the EC-backed tripartite agreement among the East Africa Community (EAC), SADC and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), which comprises three different EPA negotiating blocs, is still a long way off, says Roux. 

“The EU will have to resign to the fact that such a free trade area can only be discussed when the regions are ready.” (END/2010)

CHINA :

China marks latest Africa deal in style
July 29, 2010 /by Stefan Wagstyl/blogs.ft.com

The latest stage in China’s push for Africa’s resources was marked on Thursday with a ceremony in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.

The huge building, scene of countless Communist party galas, was given over to an event in which Chinalco, the state-run metal company, formalised a joint venture with Rio Tinto to develop iron ore in Guinea.

While the documents focused entirely on the commercial side of the deal, the location emphsised its clear political significance. China is deadly serious about promoting its interests in Africa.
As Reuters reports, Rio Tinto’s CEO said in a statement he expected the Simandou joint venture in Guinea to begin production within five years.

Chinalco’s part-owned subsidiary, Aluminum Corp of China (Chalco), suspended its shares on Wednesday amid expectations of a deal with Rio.

FT.com reports that In March, the two groups announced a non-binding agreement for the Chinese company to acquire a 44.65 per cent stake in the project for $1.35bn.

Simandou has been a troubled project for Rio, leading to talk that it might sell its stake entirely to the Chinese group, a state champion mandated to acquire resources abroad. Simandou has among the largest untapped iron ore deposits in the world, with some 2.25bn tonnes of ore.

Seychelles president meets Chinese state councilor on relations
English.news.cn/Editor: yan /Xinhua/ 2010-07-29

VICTORIA, July 28 (Xinhua) — Seychelles President James Michel Wednesday met with visiting Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, and the two agreed to boost bilateral relations.

President James Michel said Seychelles-China ties are a model for bilateral relations in the world.

Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to the island country located in the Indian Ocean about 1,500 km east of mainland Africa three years ago significantly pushed forward bilateral ties, and the Seychelles people will forever remember the historic event, Michel said.

The Seychelles side sincerely thanked China for its strong support for its economic development, he said.

Michel said Seychelles would continue to stick to the one-China policy, and back China’s just cause of peaceful unification.

Seychelles is willing to further develop its special and close friendship and partnership with China, and strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said.

The president said his nation also is willing to increase people-to-people exchanges, regards itself as the gate and bridge for China to Africa, and aims to positively move forward China-Africa ties.

Dai said he was happy to see different ethnic groups in Seychelles live in harmony, and the Seychelles people have made new achievements in economic and social development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976, China-Seychelles relations have developed healthily and steadily, Dai said, adding that high-level officials of the two countries, particularly in recent years, have frequently conducted mutual visits and energetically boosted bilateral ties.

Dai said China will continue to provide assistance for Seychelles within its capacity, and timely complete their cooperative programs within the framework of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum or being agreed to by the two countries.

INDIA :

BRASIL:

Group Reports Progress Fighting Corporate Bribery
July 29, 2010/dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com

Efforts to stop companies in advanced economies from bribing foreign officials to win contracts are improving, although a “disturbing” number of governments are still not keeping their commitments in this area, an advocacy group said in a report released Wednesday.

The study from Transparency International said it was “very positive” that seven of 36 countries evaluated were actively enforcing the Anti-Bribery Convention of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to which they were a party, The New York Times’s Matthew Saltmarsh reported.
The convention was signed in 1997 and was enacted two years later. It commits signatories to make the bribing of foreign public officials a crime in the company’s home country.

Active enforcement is considered as having adequate rules and structures in place to deter foreign bribery.

The seven with best practice were Denmark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Britain and the United States. Those countries, the report said, represent approximately 30 percent of world exports.

Since last year, three of those countries — Denmark, Italy and Britain — had improved.

Nine countries were considered to have “moderate enforcement” — still an inadequate deterrent — including France, Spain, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands.

“The most disappointing finding is that there are still 20 countries — including G-8 member Canada — with little or no enforcement, representing about 15 percent of world exports,” the report said.

Along with Canada, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Israel, Greece, Turkey and South Africa were cited in this group.

“That number has shown little change in the last five years,” the report said. “This is deeply disturbing because companies in these countries will feel little or no constraint about foreign bribery, and many are not even aware of the O.E.C.D. Convention.”

“The current situation is unstable because the convention is predicated on the collective commitment of all the parties to end foreign bribery,” it said. “Unless enforcement is sharply increased, existing support could well erode.

The hope for the convention is that Russia, China and India can eventually be drawn into signing. None of those three giant economies is yet a member of the organization.

An area of concern is that Chinese companies in particular have been investing heavily in Africa in recent years, pushing for access to oil and minerals across the continent. African governments have eagerly accepted loans, in part because they are free of the conditions that international and Western lenders often attach.

Russia’s important role in energy supply to Europe and the lack of transparency in the governance of many corporations is also a concern.

The report cited “danger signals” including efforts in some countries to limit the role of investigative magistrates, shorten statutes of limitations and extend immunities from prosecution.

It praised Britain’s decision to enact a new antibribery law in April 2010 as a “crucial step” in updating antiquated laws. The law is expected to be enacted in April 2011.

It also noted that during the last year, prosecutors in the United States, Germany and Britain settled a number of important foreign bribery cases in which the defendants agreed to pay fines amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Some of the most important recent bribery investigations have been started by money laundering investigations — including those involving Siemens of Germany and Alstom of France. Here, the report said, Switzerland had “played a notable role.”

France was criticized for having “several inadequacies” in its legal framework including the short duration of the statute of limitation, three years.

A total of 38 countries have ratified the convention; Iceland and Luxembourg are among them, but were not part of the Transparency International study.

EN BREF, CE 29 juillet 2010… AGNEWS /OMAR, BXL,29/07/2010