ZIMBABWE: Zimbabweans vote on the new constitution
Zimbabweans voted on March 16, 2013 for a key referendum on a new constitution that among others, limits presidential terms for the first time in the country. It introduces a two-term limit of five years each for a president.
However, the limit will not apply retroactively, which means President Robert Mugabe could have 10 more years as head of state if he is re-elected.
Mugabe, 89, has been in power for decades, first serving as Prime Minister in 1980 and taking over as president seven years later. The referendum was one of the conditions set before an election. The country now prepares for the first poll since a disputed outcome plunged the nation into chaos in 2008.
KENYA: Focus on the Supreme Court after the Kenyan vote
The attention of Kenyans and the world is now turned on the Supreme Court of Kenya after Raila Odinga’s Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), filed a petition challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as the winner of the March 4 election.
Mr Odinga wants the highest court on the land to set aside the presidential election results announced by the electoral commission on March 9 claiming that the election was marred by massive irregularities, malpractices and contravention of the Constitution.
Raila Odinga, the outgoing Kenya’s Prime Minister, and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court emerged clear favourites in the hotly contested vote in which Mr. Kenyatta managed to garner the 50 percent plus one vote required by the Constitution to be declared the winner in the first round.
KENYA: ICC drops charges against Francis Muthaura
The International Criminal Court has dropped all charges against Kenya's former head of the civil service accused alongside president-elect Uhuru Kenyatta of crimes against humanity during the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
The ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, asked the Court to drop the charges against Francis Muthaura after a key witness in Muthaura's case recanted his evidence. The prosecutor also said other witnesses against Muthaura refused to testify or had died.
However, Bensouda said charges against Kenyatta, who was elected president in the March 4 general election, and William Ruto, his running mate, would not be dropped.
RWANDA: Rwanda denies hosting rebel sought by ICC
Rwanda has dismissed claims by the Democratic Republic of Congo that Bosco Ntaganda, a leader of the Congolese M23 rebel group who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, was in the country.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo dismissed allegations by DR Congo government spokesman Lambert Mende who had said that Mr Ntaganda had crossed into Rwanda. Rwanda has been accused by Kinshasa and a panel of UN experts of masterminding, arming and even commanding the M23 rebellion in the resource-rich east of DR Congo.
The Rwandan-born Ntaganda, nicknamed “The Terminator”, faces charges at the ICC on several counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, Rwanda is not a signatory to the ICC’s founding document, the Rome Statute, and therefore would not be obliged to hand Ntaganda over to the tribunal.
MALI: Fear of reprisal attacks as French soldiers prepare to exit Mali
It is barely two months since France sent troops into Mali to take back its cities from Islamists who had seized power in a devastating push which saw them gain control of the war-torn West African country's entire north.
However, many residents of Gao are expressing fears following France’s announcement that it would begin to withdraw its troops in April and hand over the responsibility for security back to Malian troops.
The city of Gao had fallen under the control of Islamist fighters in June last year before it was recaptured by French military forces in January this year. Now the residents fear that once the French troops go they will be exposed and helpless to repel resurgent jihadist fighters who may return with bloody reprisals in mind.