DR CONGO: DR Congo rebels surrender in Uganda
Fighters from the Democratic Republic of Congo's M23 group, including their commander Sultani Makenga, have surrendered in Uganda signalling the end of an 18-month armed conflict. The rebel surrender follows a crushing defeat at the hands of the UN-backed Congolese armed forces. According to Paddy Ankunda, a colonel in the Ugandan army, 1,500 men from the M23 - a number thought to account for almost the entire force - had crossed into Uganda and given themselves up, and were now being held in the Kisoro border district. However, Ankunda, who is also the spokesman for the Ugandan defence minister Crispus Kiyonga, a mediator in stalled peace talks between M23 and Kinshasa said, on Thursday November 7, he was not aware if Makenga was among those to have surrendered.
The rebels' surrender puts to rest fears that they may try to fight on despite having been outweighed by superior firepower, notably helicopter gunships. Makenga, 39, a former colonel in the DR Congo army, is accused of masterminding killings, abductions, using rape as a weapon of war and recruiting child soldiers, and is on both UN and US sanctions lists. His presence in Uganda whether arrested or not, poses a diplomatic headache for Kampala. Congolese troops backed by a special UN intervention brigade with an offensive mandate launched a major assault late last month against the M23 force of army mutineers in turbulent North Kivu. After briefly seizing the regional capital and mining hub of Goma last November, the M23 entered into fresh peace talks which fell apart last month, leading the Congolese army to go on the attack in a bid to end the rebellion.
MALI: Al-Qaeda claims journalists' killing in Mali
A group linked to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for killing two French journalists in northern Mali, according to news reports. According to Abdallah Mohamedi, head of Sahara Medias, a company that is often sent statements by fighters in Mali, the claim had come by email from fighters loyal to Abdelkrim al-Targui, a senior commander in the region.
It said their deaths were ‘a response to crimes committed by France against Malians and the work of African and international forces against the Muslims of Azawad’, the name given by the Tuareg people to northern Mali. Ghislaine Dupont, 57, and Claude Verlon, 55, were kidnapped and killed by what French officials called ‘terrorist groups’ after interviewing a spokesman for Tuareg separatists in the flashpoint northeastern town.
Sources in Mali told news agencies that at least 35 suspects have been arrested in 48 hours as the hunt intensifies for the killers. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Wednesday November 7, that his country would stick to its timetable for withdrawing troops from Mali, despite a resurgence in violence and the killing of the journalists. France sent soldiers to its former colony in January to combat fighters who had taken over large swathes of Mali. It has already delayed by two months plans to reduce troop numbers from 3,200 to 1,000 by the end of the year.
MOZAMBIQUE: Rebel movement rejects peace talks
Mozambique's revived rebel movement Renamo has rejected a government invite for high level face-to-face talks to end destabilizing military skirmishes. The Frelimo party-led government had called on its civil war foe Afonso Dhlakama, the leader of Renamo, to travel to Maputo on November 8 to discuss his grievances personally with President Armando Guebuza. But just hours later Renamo rejected the invitation outright as ‘cynical’. Renamo spokesman Fernando Mazanga branded the offer ‘a political propaganda campaign without minimal respect for ethics’.
Supporters of Dhlakama - a rebel leader in Mozambique's brutal civil war - have been involved in a series of deadly attacks and are demanding a share of the country's resource wealth. For many Mozambicans the crisis has uncomfortable echoes of a 16-year civil war between Renamo and the ruling Frelimo party that resulted in the deaths of around one million people. The factions signed a peace deal in 1992 and Renamo subsequently became the main opposition party, but has since seen its support erode.
It says the leader would be in danger of attacks if he travelled to Maputo. Renamo earlier threatened to disrupt local elections slated for November 20 unless the government gives in to its demands. Campaigning officially started Tuesday, but the movement has refused to register.
MADAGASCAR Still Awaiting Presidential Elections Results
More than a week since Madagascar held its first presidential election to end a four-year political deadlock; the results are yet to be released. Whereas the European Union (EU) and the South African observers had declared the election as free and fair, there is fear of corruption and manipulation of the results with the international observers expressing their worry if the delay persists.
By November 4th up to 80% of the polling stations had finished vote counting. The electoral body stated that the results were not delayed because it had promised to announce them within 10 days after the receipt of the latest package from the polling stations.
Interim results show that no single candidate out of the 33 who contested is likely to garner the majority vote thereby setting the stage for a run-off in December.
It has also been reported that cases seeking to nullify the results have been filed at the Special Electoral Court (CES). According to Madagascan law candidates, voters and observers have 10 days to file any case of irregularity in the Oct. 25 elections. The CES will have until November 20th to make a ruling on the cases and proceed to announce the final results.
KENYA: The Trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta before The ICC to Start on 5th February 2014
On 31st October, the Trial Chamber V (b) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to postpone the commencement of the trial of President Uhuru Kenyatta to 5th February 2014. The trial was originally scheduled to commence on July 9th 2013 but was pushed to November 12th 2013, prior to this latest postponement. Both the Defence and the Prosecutor backed the postponement stating that they required more time to prepare for the case.
The ruling on the postponement was delivered as the United Nations Security Council met in New York to discuss the African Union request for deferral of the cases against the two Kenyan leaders. The AU in a letter signed by 49 countries, cited Kenya’s central role in fighting terrorism as one of the key issues that necessitates the deferral.
According to the AU, the trials would distract the President from concentrating on the fight against terrorism which would make the region vulnerable to attacks. Meanwhile, Deputy President William Ruto has continued to attend his trial at The Hague but was granted one week off from 4th November 2013 to attend to state matters in the absence of President Uhuru Kenyatta who was due to visit South Africa and Botswana on official state visits.