Cote d’Ivoire: Gbagbo camp outlines terms for lifting hotel siege
The foreign minister of President Gbagbo’s government, Alcide Djedje, said that, Gbagbo’s camp will lift the siege on his presidential rival if former rebels protect his departure. He added that the strongman, Gbagbo, who most of the world says lost November's presidential run-off but has refused to relinquish power, would not go into exile despite offers aimed at ending the crisis.
"It is a question of the New Forces soldiers leaving the hotel, which is a condition for lifting the blockade," added Mr. Djedje.
Mr Gbagbo's Security and Defence Forces (FDS) have barred access to the Golf Hotel where the internationally recognised election victor, Alassane Ouattara, and his camp have been besieged since shortly after the November 28 election. The hotel has been under the protection of around 800 UN peacekeepers as well as the ex-rebel group, New Forces (NF,) allied with Mr Ouattara's camp since troops shot dead several of his supporters as they marched on the state television on December 16. The UN peacekeeping chief, Alain Le Roy, said in New York that he would seek a reinforcement of 1,000 to 2,000 soldiers to back up the existing over 9,500 strong mission already on the ground.
Rwanda’s exiled military officers await long prison sentences
The Rwandese military prosecutor said that the prosecution is calling for a lengthy 35-year prison sentence for exiled Rwandan former army chief, Lt.Gen. Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, and three others living in exile. They jointly face six charges including threatening state security, undermining public order, promoting ethic division and insulting the President of the Republic. The prosecution called for a 30-year sentence for four and an extra five for Nyamwasa and a colleague for deserting the army. The prosecutor also wants the duo dismissed with disgrace from the army. The other three include a former Director of Military Intelligence, Patrick Karegeya, a former director of Cabinet, Theogene Rudasingw’a, a former envoy to the United States and a former prosecutor-general, Gerald Gahima.
France to extradite Hutu rebel to ICC
The highest court in France has upheld an order to extradite Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana to face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mr Mbarushimana’s lawyer said that the court had rejected his client's appeal against extradition. He is accused on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, allegedly committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year.
The ICC in The Hague said that there is evidence suggesting that Mr Mbarushimana, who has lived in France as a political refugee since 2002, contributed to the crimes in DR Congo using local and international media.
DR Congo proposes a one-round election 'to cut costs'
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has proposed that elections due in November be held in one round to cut costs and prevent any flare in tensions as seen in other African countries. But the main opposition parties quickly rejected the proposal, saying it could undermine the legitimacy of the elected president.
"The two-round election like the one we had in 2006 is not in the interest of the Congolese people from an economic, political and security point of view” said Mr Lambert Mende, the government spokesman. He added that, holding the election in one round, which would require a partial revision of the constitution, would halve the costs to around 350 million dollars. It would also "prevent the country sinking into identity wars like Kenya, Guinea and the Ivory Coast”. The most recent presidential elections in these countries sparked deadly disputes about ethnicity and identity, with the Ivory Coast run-off vote in November entrenching a north-south divide as both candidates claim to be the winner. The Independent Election Commission has announced the first round of presidential and parliamentary elections for November 27.
Sudan 'needs clearer oil-sharing deal'
Sudan needs to have greater transparency over its oil revenues to help preserve peace in the region. The campaign organisation Global Witness said that suspicions over how revenues have been shared have added greatly to mistrust between North and South. Most of Sudan's oil comes from wells in the South but the infrastructure remains in the North. The current oil-sharing accord between the two shares the revenues roughly at 50:50. Global Witness said the two sides need to agree on a more transparent deal to replace the existing one which is due to expire at the end of the month.
“Mistrust over revenue sharing was one of the primary reasons for the South's temporary pullout from the power-sharing arrangement in 2007. Evidence suggests that such concerns are not unfounded," says Global Witness.
Tanzania police kill two in Arusha at Chadema protest
The Tanzanian chief police, Tobias Andengenye, said that two people were shot dead during an anti-government protest in Arusha. Nine people were injured, including three police officers. The unrest started after the chairman of the opposition party, Chadema, Freeman Mbowe, was detained before a rally against government corruption. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of several thousand people, who were demanding Mr Mbowe's release. Mr Andengenye said that a total of 49 Chadema officials were also arrested in the northern city.