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African Press AgencyNigerian govt declares two-day holidays to mark Eid el Kabir The Nigerian government has declared Thursday and Friday next week as public holidays to mark the Muslim festival of EId-El-Kabir. A statement issued by the Assistant Director, Ministry of Interior, Mr Stephen Nelson, in Abuja on Friday, said that the Nigerian government through the Minister of Interior, Dr Shettima Mustafa, wishes all Nigerians at home and abroad a happy celebration. The statement advised all Muslims to use the period to reflect on the humility and teachings of Prophet (...) - Islam / Society, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, Religions, Sociaux, Le Fil islamique BADEA grants $6mn to DR Congo for rehabilitation of schools The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) will release $6 million for the rehabilitation of school infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the DRC government said following its Friday meeting. This agreement provides for the rehabilitation of 16 schools with 345 classrooms for the amount of 6 million dollars. The announcement of this funding agreement concluded in June was made after the visit earlier this week to Kinshasa of the Director General of Bedea, (...) - Education / Education, CEEAC, RD CONGO, Banques, Cooperation bilaterale Moroccan police seize two tons of drugs in northern city Moroccan authorities on Saturad announced the seizure of two tons of drugs from cannabis resin near the northern city of Larache while two drug traffickers were arrested. The quantity seized, one of the most important in the past two months, was cremated, an official said. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 190 tons of drugs were seized in the country compared to hardly 110 tons in 2008. Three major drug trafficking networks have been dismantled, involving dozens of people. In January, (...) - Society / Society, UMA, MAROC Over 50 ships queuing to berth at Nigerian ports About 51 ships, including 23 tankers are competing for berthing spaces at Nigeria's Lagos ports as activities at the ports attain the usual annual peak due to the upcoming Christmas and New Year festivities in the country, APA learns on Saturday. The tankers are laden with kerosene, diesel, lubricating oil and petrol while the other 28 ships are laden with vehicles, general cargo, bulk cement, bulk sugar and fresh fish. Port operators said on Saturday in Lagos that the high ship (...) - Economy / Business, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, SERVICES, Consumption, Commerciaux BADEA loans US$22,46 million to four African countries The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) is due to provide US$22,46 million as loans to four African countries to finance development projects in their countries. BADEA said in statement released on Friday that the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa will sign four loan agreements on Monday in Cairo with four African countries, namely Senegal, Benin, Malawi and Niger with total value of US$22.46 million. The statement noted that BADEA will provide Senegal with US$ (...) - Economy / Business, COMESA, EGYPTE, Economiques, Le fil financier Liberia launches nationwide yellow fever campaign The Liberian health ministry on Saturday launched a week-long nationwide yellow fever campaign in the capital, Monrovia targeting three million of the nation's 3.4 million inhabitants. Speaking at the launch, Liberia's Minister of Health Dr. Walter Gwenigale called on all Liberians to take the vaccine which protects those who take it for ten years. He observed that yellow fever is a dangerous disease that kills, and that its victims usually bleed profusely from all parts of the body, (...) - Society / Society, LIBERIA Egypt affirms importance of boosting ties with Nile basin countries President Hosni Mubarak affirmed on Saturday that Egypt pays great importance to boosting ties with Nile basin countries. Mubarak said in an important political speech before the parliament's joint session “that we are confident in our ability to come together for a common vision based on cooperation, not competition, to serve interests of upstream countries and at the same time safeguard rights of Egypt and current uses of the water of the Nile”. He vowed that Egypt will be firm in dealing (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, EGYPTE Spain donates $112 million to help fight hunger in Horn of Africa Spain's Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Soraya Rodriguez Ramos, on Saturday announced a donation of €75 million (US$112m) to the United Nations World Food Programme in response to the critical hunger situation in the Horn of Africa. The announcement followed the UN's three-day World Summit on Food Security in the Italian capital and effectively doubles Spain's contributions to WFP. Rodriguez said Spain's Master Plan for Development highlighted the need to keep on giving, (...) - Humanity / KENYA, Humanity Film Festival of Marrakech features 15 countries Fifteen films representing fifteen nationalities will participate in the International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM), Morocco, scheduled to take place 4-12 December, organisers said Saturday. Eight of the 15 shortlisted films will be screened for the first time : Heliopolis by Ahmad Abdallah (Egypt), Leo's Room (El Cuarto De Leo) by Enrique Buchichio (Uruguay), Love & Rage by Morten Giese (Denmark), My Daughter by Charlotte Lim (Malaysia), Northless (Norteado) by Rigoberto Perezcano (...) - AFRICA PAGE / Culture, UMA, MAROC, Cinema, Festivals AU Commission President, Ivorian leader discuss West African crises The African Union Commission President, Jean Ping and President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire on Friday discussed the crises that hit the West African region. “I came late to thank him for the support Cote d'Ivoire had brought to my application and then tried to discuss the subregional issues as a whole”, Ping said after meeting President Gbagbo. "You know the subregion is facing many problems. We took stock of the situation prevailing in the area” he said, adding that (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, COTE D'IVOIRE, English Headlines, UNION AFRICAINE African gender ministers endorse declaration to empower women The African Ministers Responsible for Gender and Women's Affairs late Friday evening in Banjul endorsed a declaration affirming their commitment to focus their actions on promoting the sustainable economic development of women. The ministers agreed to ensure and reinforce the rights of women and their right to access to timely and relevant information, training, credit, land and control of productive resources. According to the declaration, the ministers committed themselves to the economic (...) - Gender / Gender, GAMBIE Abuja cultural carnival gets underway The Abuja 2009 carnival on Saturday kicked off with the display of colors and excitement was evident among members of the participating contingents from Nigerian states, South Africa, Egypt and Ghana. Abuja residents lined the walk-ways along the carnival routes through Garki village, Area 1, festival road where it will terminate at Eagle square. All 36 states, excluding Ogun, participated in the carnival floats where each state showcased different colorful artistic and symbolic (...) - CULTURE PAGE / NIGERIA Zimbabwe : Talks to resolve power sharing dispute fail to take place Zimbabwe's main political parties have failed to meet for talks to resolve the country's power-sharing dispute amid revelations that some of the negotiators had snubbed the negotiations and travelled abroad, APA learns here Saturday. The delay in convening a meeting of negotiators from ZANU PF of President Robert Mugabe and the rival factions of the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) saw the negotiators missing Saturday's deadline set by the Southern African Development (...) - Politics / Politics, ZIMBABWE Swine flu cases soar in Morocco, more than 1,100 cases reported The number of people infected with influenza A/H1N1 virus in Morocco has reached 1101 after 29 new cases were reported, official source said. Among the new infected we have 582 students, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said reassuring that the diagnosed cases are submitted to home therapy with regular monitoring by health services. On Monday, the first case of death due to influenza A/H1N1 was declared in the country a 23 years old boy suffering from pleuro-pulmonary infection. Three (...) - AFRICA PAGE / MAROC Zimbabwe music icon appointed cultural ambassador by US charity group Zimbabwean music superstar, Oliver Mtukudzi has been honored with a cultural ambassador award in San Diego in the United States in recognition of his contribution to the fight against HIV and AIDS, a private radio station reported Saturday. Radio VOP said the award is sponsored by Project Concern International, a charity group that works in Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi,Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia where it funds community projects for people living with HIV/AIDS and other communicable (...) - CULTURE PAGE / ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe records biggest jump in Africa in FIFA world rankings Zimbabwe's senior soccer team has climbed 23 places on the latest FIFA world rankings, thanks to its impressive run in the COSAFA regional challenge which the country won this month. The Zimbabwe Warriors were ranked the 108th best team in the world for October, according to the latest FIFA rankings released Saturday. The country was previously ranked 131 in September. The Warriors recorded the biggest jump among African countries, followed by the Comoros which leapt 21 places to 178th in (...) - Sports / Sports, ZIMBABWE Nigerian Insurance body eyes Uganda's micro-insurance success The Director-General of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mr Adegboyega Adepegba, said on Saturday in Lagos that the success in micro-insurance in Uganda could be replicated in Nigeria. Adepegba said the institute's 2009 education seminar for managers and marketing executives would focus on micro-insurance and that the success in India, Bolivia, Bangladesh and Uganda command significant attention for developing countries where its replication will serve similar market (...) - Business / Business, NIGERIA Former Ghanaian leader vows to champion children rights Former Ghanaian President John Kuffour has vowed to champion the rights of children to adequate food supplies in an effort to ensure that the young generation in food insecure nations have a bright future, local media reported on Saturday. The former President said that there was need to target children specifically when addressing the food crisis in these nations saying that nurturing children ensure continued existence of communities. Kuffour who is now a World Food Programme (WFP) global (...) - Society / Society, GHANA, KENYA Kenya to build modern standard gauge railway line The Kenyan Railways announced on Saturday that it has begun the process of building a modern high capacity Standard Gauge railway line for Kenya. This follows a Request For Proposals (RFP) for a Transaction Adviser in a paid-up International Tender advertisement released by the Corporation on September 8 in the local and international press. This was announced by the Managing Director of Kenya Railways Corporation Nduva Muli, at a Press Conference held at the Kenya Railways Headquarters. (...) - Communication / KENYA, Communication Rwanda genocide survivors denounce UN court, plan boycott Following last week's release of two top 1994 genocide suspects by the United nations Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, hundreds of Rwandan genocide Survivors on Saturday held peaceful demonstrations across the country, hinting at the possibility of boycotting future court proceeding, APA learns here. During one of the demonstrations in Kigali, the 1994 genocide survivors under their umbrella organization, IBUKA called on the government to stop sending witnesses to the UN (...) - Society / Society, RWANDA Nigerian football federation grooms players for U-17 team A member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Stephen Gyebgon, says the federation is grooming the current U-13 players to represent Nigeria in the next edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament. Gyebgon told journalists on Friday in Abuja that the move would ensure early preparation for the tournament, scheduled for Mexico in 2011. ``Our plan is to set out on time to assemble players to ensure that we have ample time to prepare them for the championship,'' he said. According to (...) - Sports / Sports, NIGERIA Nigeria's Lagos State gov't steps up surveillance on swine flu The Lagos State Government in south-western Nigeria has stepped up its surveillance programme on swine flu. The Director of Disease Control in the Ministry of Health, Dr Olufemi Taiwo, said at one-day training for some members of its Epidemic Rapid Response (ERR) team at the Lagos General Hospital that the ERR team was established to monitor activities at the general hospitals and health centres in local government areas. ``We are training our rapid response team to be more informed about (...) - AFRICA PAGE / NIGERIA World Bank organizes seminar on Climate Change for Nigerian youths The World Bank Institute is to hold a one-day seminar on Climate Change for 100 youths across Nigeria, an official of the institute has said. Ms Habiba Gitay, the Climate Change Environmentalist of the Institute, told journalists on Friday in Abuja that the seminar would focus on building the knowledge of participants representing youth NGOs on Climate Change. The seminar will also enlighten them on what action is required, she said. According to her, the seminar will also focus on (...) - ENVIRONMENT PAGE / NIGERIA Nigerian state receives $14.3 million from World Bank to fight HIV/AIDS The World Bank says it has earmarked US$14.3 million for the reduction of HIV and AIDS infection in Bauchi State in northern Nigeria. Dr Benjamin Loerewensohn, the leader of the World Bank delegation who visited the governor of Bauchi State in northern Nigeria, Mallam Isa Yuguda in Bauchi on Friday, said that part of the money would also go into tackling tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. He said that the bank spent US$9.7 million last year and another US$4.6 million this year, for (...) - AFRICA PAGE / NIGERIA Ugandan President urges EAC to Invest in oil exploration Uganda leader, Yoweri Museveni on Friday urged East African countries to invest in oil exploration because there are high prospects with more reserves in the region. He made the comments as he addressedthe 11th ordinary summit of the East African community soon after ratifying a protocol establishing the regions common market at the Arusha International conference centre yesterday. The President gave an example of Uganda where oil has been discovered in the western part of the rift valley (...) - Raw Materials / OUGANDA, Raw Materials Rwandan court jails ex-minister for corruption Rwandan court Friday evening sentenced former state minister for primary and higher education Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, to one year imprisonment for flouting tendering procedures, APA notes here this Saturday. The court also ordered the former powerful minister to pay a fine of Frw500, 000 ($880). Mutsindashyaka who was dropped from cabinet this year for several alleged corruption charges when he was the governor of the eastern province, was last Tuesday arrested and charged in court for (...) - Society / Society, RWANDA Rwanda moves four places in FIFA rankings Rwanda's soccer has improved in the last few months, according to the latest rankings by the World Football Governing body (FIFA) released from Zurich Switzerland, putting Rwanda at 110th position, moving up four places, APA learns here this Saturday. The results are contrary to local soccer pundits' predictions that the country would drop after enduring an indifferent run in the qualifying campaign of the 2010 Africa Nations Cup in Angola. Rwanda, who needed a 2-0 goal margin to play in (...) - Sports / Sports, RWANDA Rwandan cycling team performs poorly in competition Rwandan cycling team's performance at the ongoing Tour of Rwanda is heading for tough times as Moroccans continue to exhibit their riding superiority after Day Five Friday, APA notes here. Riding from Huye, Southern Rwanda to Kigali (134km), four-time champion Abraham Ruhumuriza and defending champion Adrien Niyonshuti clocked 3 hours, 29 minutes and 56 seconds to finish 8th and 9th respectively. It was the first time the team had failed to field a cyclist in the top six since the start (...) - Sports / Sports, RWANDA Amnesty International welcomes Germany arrest of top Rwandan militias The International rights watchdog, Amnesty International has welcomed the arrest by the German authorities of top Rwandan militias whose rebel forces in DR Congo are accused of committing several human rights violations that include the 1994 genocide, APA notes here this Saturday. German law enforcement officers this week arrested Ignace Murwanashyaka, President of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), and his deputy, Straton Musoni, a move that has also been welcomed (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, RWANDA Seychelles economy hit hard by piracy, UN Security Council told Ronny Jumeau, Seychelles ambassador to United Nations has told the Security Council that piracy in the Indian Ocean is severely hitting Seychelles' economy, APA learns in the Seychellois capital Victoria on Saturday. Jumeau who was speaking at the Security council session dedicated to piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia said that peace will not return to the Indian Ocean nor will tranquility return to Seychelles until there is peace in Somalia. Seychelles, though severely (...) - AFRICA PAGE / SEYCHELLES Nigeria calls for Serbia's support to fight corruption Irked by the recent rating of Transparency International which ranks Nigeria as still very corrupt, the government on Friday called for a collaboration with the Republic of Serbia in the fight against corruption. Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed, who received the Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister, Vuk Jeremic, in Abuja expressed the country's willingness to collaborate with Serbia in promoting the transparency and general wellbeing of the people. He called for (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, NIGERIA Egypt, South Africa joins Nigeria for Abuja carnival Contingents from Egypt, Ghana and South Africa have joined those from the 27 of the 36 states in Nigeria in Abuja to start on Saturday, the four-day Abuja carnival organized to showcase the rich culture of the country as well as promote investment in tourism. APA has observed that all the major streets in the city are wearing a new look as many tourists from Africa, Europe and America were already in the city to savor the splendor of the ceremonies. Prof. Biaakare Zakare, (...) - CULTURE PAGE / NIGERIA Mauritius to host COMESA Infrastructure fund headquarters Mauritius will host the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Infrastructure Fund following a decision of the managing committee of this regional organization, APA learns in the Mauritian capital Port Louis on Saturday. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Rama Sithanen who announced the news here declared that the decision is a proof of the trust that COMESA has in Mauritius. Sithanen added that the Fund has been instituted for the development of infrastructures in (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, MAURICE 33'rd Cairo International Film Festival session wraps up The 33'rd Cairo International Film Festival session wrapped up late Friday night by distributing prizes in a colorful celebration at Cairo opera house . The Prize for the Best Director went to the Director : Mona Achache For her film : The Hedgehog produced by Les Films des Tournelles(France). Her outstanding debut work showed a mastery of the medium, sensitivity and a remarkably a clear vision. The Prize for the Best Actor was shared between two Actors, Indian actor Subrat Dutta and the (...) - CULTURE PAGE / EGYPTE Nigeria to supply gas to three ECOWAS member states Nigeria promised that gas would be transported from the oil rich Niger Delta to Benin, Togo and Ghana by 2010 at the 63rd session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers which opened on Friday in Abuja. The Chairman of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, Nigeria's Foreign minister Ojo Maduekwe, who spoke at the opening said “barring any unforeseen developments, gas will be transported to these countries.'' “Thanks in part to the successful Amnesty Programme embarked (...) - Raw Materials / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, Matieres Premieres, Diplomatiques Russia proposes int'l criminal tribunal to combat piracy off Somali coasts The possible creation of an international criminal tribunal will help combat piracy off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, APA learnt in Moscow on Friday. Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, proposes formulating coordinated counter-measures in this area, including the establishment of a special criminal tribunal on piracy, Medvedev said at a meeting with Transport ministers from a number of foreign countries in (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, SOMALIE, Diplomatiques, RUSSIE, DIASPORA 2010 CAN promises exciting fixtures The 27th edition of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) opening match will be played on 10 January 2010 in Luanda, between the host country Angola and Mali, according to the drawing lots for the competition which took place Friday in the Angolan capital. Group A to be lodged in Luanda includes Mali, Angola, Malawi, which records its second participation in the CAN, 25 years after the first one, and Algeria, a former winner of the competition crowned with its new status as it qualified for the (...) - Sports / Sports, CEEAC, ANGOLA, Football, Sportifs EC assists Nigeria with €677 million for development The European Commission on Friday signed a 677 million Euro agreement that aims to help Nigeria tackle development challenges in the areas of governance, trade and peace for the period 2009 – 2013. The agreement was signed in Brussels by European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht, and by Nigeria's Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission, Prof. Sylvester Monye. According to a statement to APA in Abuja by the Commission's Press (...) - Development / Business, Diplomacy, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, Development, Economiques, UE UK reacts as Somali pirates threaten to kill kidnapped British couple The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth office Friday issued a statement after ‘impatient Somali pirates gave kidnapped British yacht couple 'one week to live'. The government's reaction follows another desperate call by Paul and Rachel Chandler, the British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates, revealing their captors were 'losing patience' and they could be killed within a week. The Foreign office described as distressful a video footage over London-based Channel 4 TV News, (...) - Conflicts / Society, SOMALIE, USA, Impunite, Somalie, Diplomatiques, DIASPORA Nigeriens divided over venue of next talks Consultations have come against a stumbling block about the determination of the venue of the nexts steps of the dialogue between the government and the opposition in the context of mediation initiated by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdul Salami Abubakar, appointed by the ECOWAS to resolve the crisis arising from the adoption of a new constitution in Niger, APA learns Friday from corroborating sources. The ECOWAS mediator who arrived in Niamey on Tuesday has multiplied (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, NIGER, English Headlines, Diplomatiques IFC vice president to visit Liberia The vice president of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for Sub-Saharan Africa, Thierry Tanoh, will visit Liberia in 22 and 23 November, APA learns here Friday. According to a press statement issued in Monrovia Friday, the visit of Ivorian national Tanoh is meant to highlight the support IFC provides for Liberia's development through the private sector, encourage increased cooperation among development partners, and support elimination of barriers to economic growth. (...) - Economy / Business, Diplomacy, CEDEAO, LIBERIA, Institutions, Economiques Egypt urges Algeria to protect nationals, interests Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit told his Algerian counterpart Murad Medelci, on Friday during a phone call, his country's total rejection of attacks against Egyptian fans in Sudan, and Egyptian interests and businesses in Algeria before and following the 2010 World Cup qualification play-off match in Sudan on Wednesday. The Egyptian foreign minister urged again the Algerian government to protect Egypt's businesses and provide security to Egyptian workers and community (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, Sports, COMESA, ALGERIE, EGYPTE, Football, Mondial 2010, Sportifs ECOWAS records success in ratification of arms, weapons convention The move to control movement of small arms and light weapons has recored a success as nine out of the 15 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have deposited their instrument of ratification of the convention. Since the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials was adopted on 14 June 2006 in Abuja by the Authority of heads of state and government. Benin was first to ratify the convention. The president of (...) - Integration / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, Integration, Diplomatiques, CEDEAO 14 candidates to run for Ivorian presidency Fourteen candidates including incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo and his two main opponents Aime Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara have been definitively selected by the Constitutional Council for the next Ivorian presidential election, announced on Friday Paul Yao N'dré, the chairperson of this institution, as he delivered a statement. “Considering that the following candidates, Akoto Yao Felix, Anaky Kobenan Innocent Augustin, Bedie Konan Aime Henri, Enoh Aka (...) - Politics / Politics, CEDEAO, COTE D'IVOIRE, A la Une, Transition, Cote d Ivoire, Presidentielle, Politiques 7th Lome International Trade Fair kicks off The 7th Lome International Trade Fair opened on Friday at the Togo Exhibition Center (CETEF), APA notes here. The Togolese head of state Faure Gnassingbe cut the symbolic ribbon at the opening ceremony of this fun fair which puts together over 550 exhibitors from 16 countries namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Syria and Turkey. According to Guy Madje Lorenzo, the Togolese Trade (...) - Business / Business, CEDEAO, TOGO, Foires et Salons, Commerciaux Rwanda hands over EAC chairmanship to Tanzania The Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has been the chairman of the East African Community (EAC) for more than one year, has this Friday in Arusha, Tanzania handed over the regional leadership mantle to his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Kikwete at the 11th EAC summit in Arusha, APA learns from the state-owned radio in Kigali. Kikwete was elected as the new EAC Chairperson by leaders from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda replacing Kagame. In his hand-over speech, President Kagame (...) - Integration / Diplomacy, CEEAC, RWANDA, Integration, Diplomatiques, CEEAC UN official harps on ECA repositioning to respond to specific African needs The UN under Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Abdoulie Janneh, said the ECA was repositioned to respond to the specific needs of the continent. He explained that the repositioning was underscored by a strategic orientation by way of harnessing regional resources to respond to Africa's development needs endorsed here in Banjul at the 2006 AU summit. Janneh, who was speaking Thursday at the Beijing + 15 conference at Kairaba Beach (...) - Development / Gender, Politics, CEDEAO, GAMBIE, Development, Economiques, UNION AFRICAINE, Nations Unies Angolan capital hosts drawing lots of 2010 African nations cup The football teams to take part in the 27th edition of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) scheduled from 10 to 31st January 2010 in Angola are divided into four groups by drawing lots on Friday in Luanda : Group A (Luanda) : Angola, Malawi, Algeria, Mali Group B (Cabinda) : Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina, Togo, Ghana Group C (Benguela) : Egypt, Mozambique, Nigeria, Benin Group D (Lubango) : Cameroon, Gabon, Tunisia, (...) - Sports / Sports, CEEAC, ANGOLA, Football, une football, une sport, Sportifs Individuals plan to bring trouble to Guinea-Minister The Guinean minister of Territory administration and Political affairs, Mr. Frédérique Kolié, said that some individuals are planning to bring trouble to Guinea on 22 November, which marks the anniversary of the Portuguese attack against Guinea in 1970. “Some ill-intentioned people held a meeting again in Wanindara in the district of Ratoma in Conakry, in order to plan the disturbance of the public order throughout the whole territory on 22 November 2009 marking the anniversary of the (...) - Politics / Politics, CEDEAO, Impunite, Politiques, Guinea EAC leaders sign common market treaty to spur new integration phase Leaders from the East African Community (EAC) have finally endorsed the much waited Common Market Protocol on Friday in Arusha, Tanzania, spurring a new fundamental phase of regional integration, APA learns here. The signing of the treaty that allows more freedom of goods and services within the 120 million market, by the five heads of State from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi has put to rest the myth that has done the rounds over whether or not the Protocol will be signed. (...) - Integration / RWANDA, Integration 2010 State of the World's Children report launched in Lesotho The 2010 report on the State of the World's Children was officially launched in Maseru on Friday to mark the 20th anniversary of the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Lesao Lehohla performed the official launch in the presence of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Mpeo Mahase-Moila, and United Nations officials. The report highlights progress achieved in reaching out to children who are (...) - Gender / Gender, LESOTHO World court needed to fight pirates : Russian president The possible creation of an international criminal tribunal will help combat piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in Moscow on Friday. "Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, proposes formulating coordinated counter-measures in this area, including the establishment of a special criminal tribunal on piracy," Medvedev said at a meeting with transport ministers from a number of foreign countries in the Russian capital. (...) - Society / Society, SOMALIE Gambia records 80% FMG prevalence despite widespread campaign The Report of the Gambia on the Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa launched at the Sheraton Hotel in Banjul revealed that despite all the sensitization activities carried out by gender activists in the country, the prevalence rate of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is reported to be at 80 % in The Gambia. The report launched on late Thursday evening adds that the Constitutional Provisions in the Gambian Constitution sanctioning the application of customary laws continues to (...) - Gender / Gender, CEDEAO, GAMBIE, Humanity, Sociaux Denmark has invited war crimes suspect Bashir to climate change summit : Amnesty The Danish government had invited Sudanese President al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in his western region of Darfur, to attend a meeting in Copenhagen on climate change in December, according to the UK-based Amnesty International Friday. But “Denmark needs to make it clear that it will arrest President al-Bashir if he travels to Copenhagen,” Christopher Keith Hall, senior legal adviser at Amnesty (...) - Politics / Politics, SOUDAN Zimbabwe to overhaul voters' roll : Minister Zimbabwe's co-Home Affairs Minister Giles Mutsekwa on Friday said that the coalition government was looking for technical expertise and financial resources to overhaul the country's voters' roll which is said to be in shambles. Mutsekwa said the new regime in Harare was looking for funds to sponsor the exercise which would include the recruitment of a team of qualified personnel who would go through the voters' roll to weed out invalid names due to various reasons such as deaths. “I have (...) - Election / ZIMBABWE Report shows significant gender dimension to poverty in Gambia The Progress Report of the Gambia on the Implementation of the Africa and Beijing Platform for Action and Review Report for Beijing + 15 states on Friday in Banjul that there is still a significant gender dimension to poverty in The Gambia as 63% of female headed households fall below the poverty line compared to 48.2 % of male headed households. The report that is issued to the press on Friday at the Africa Regional Conference on Women currently underway at the Kairaba beach hotel in (...) - Gender / Gender, CEDEAO, GAMBIE, Development, Humanity, Sociaux World Bank VP for Africa on official visit to Kenya The World Bank Vice President of the Africa Region, Ms. Ezekwesili will be in Kenya for four days starting November 22. This will be her second visit to Kenya, following on her first visit in December 2008. Ms. Ezekwesili will consult with senior Government officials and a wide cross-section of Kenyans on the World Bank's new Country Partnership Strategy for Kenya due to be launched next year. She will listen to the development challenges facing Kenya and explore avenues for strengthening (...) - Diplomacy Police question newspaper editor in Chad The editor of the private newspaper, Notre Temps, Nadjikimo Benoudjita was questioned Thursday in N'Djamana by the crime squad of the criminal police, corroborating sources told APA. The questioning of the head of the Association of Private Press Editors in Chad, Benoudjita followed a complaint of the Minister of Infrastructure, Adoum Younousmi considered as the number two of the government . In its last publication, the newspaper Notre Temps wondered why Adoum Younousmi suspected (...) - Media / Society, CEEAC, TCHAD, Communication, Sociaux Experts, decision makers discuss “Migrations and Globalisation” in Dakar Human movements are at the centre of African societies' dynamics, the minister in charge of Senegalese living overseas, Sada Ndiaye, said on Wednesday at the opening in Dakar of an international conference on “Migrations and Globalisation : Present and Future Challenges.” According to Mr. Ndiaye, the present stakes and future challenges posed by the ‘migration and globalisation' binomial concern all stakeholders involved in migration issues i.e. the State, the (...) - Migrations / Society, CEDEAO, SENEGAL, Migrations, Sociaux Africa requires over 900 aircrafts worth over $ 1billion, says Airbus Africa requires around 960 aircrafts between 2009 and 2028, worth $ 112 billion to satisfy world average demand for air travel, a leading aircraft manufacturer based in France, Airbus forecasted in its latest report on Friday. “The region's requirement for both passengers and freighter aircraft includes 640 single aisles such the A320 Family,279 twin aisles such as the A 350XWB and the world's best selling long range A330/A340 Family, and 40 very large aircraft such as A380,” said Airbus. (...) - Communication / ETHIOPIE, Communication U.S to promote democracy in Nigeria –Envoy The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Robin Sanders, has assured Nigerians that the U.S. would support Nigeria in promoting democratic values at all levels of government. Speaking at the 30th Hubert Humphrey Fellowship anniversary lecture on Thursday in Lagos, Sanders said the U.S. was prepared to encourage good governance, transparency, integrity, hold transparent election as well as fight corruption with the cooperation of civil societies and the press. She said building democratic (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, USA, Diplomatiques Mauritanian MPs discuss reproductive health Mauritanian MPs have been discussing since Thursday morning details of the implementation of decisions and recommendations of the Parliamentarians conference on population held in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) in October, APA noted in Nouakchott. During this conference, Parliamentarians had committed themselves to « work for the well-being of populations and to improve their living conditions ». Opening the meeting, MP Babah Ould Ahmed Babou chairman of the Mauritanian Parliamentarian Network (...) - Health / Health, Social, UMA, MAURITANIE, Sociaux, Politiques Gambian VP calls for African-inspired women empowerment The African culture has all the requisite value and value systems, principles and precepts to draw on for peaceful co-existence, partnership, and female empowerment, said Gambian Vice President and Women's Affairs minister Isatou Njie Saidy at the Africa Regional Conference on Women currently underway in Banjul. Presenting a paper on Thursday on behalf of President Yahya Jammeh, vice president Njie Saidy averred that “one of the factors that continue to dissipate our efforts is (...) - Gender / Gender, CEDEAO, GAMBIE, Humanity, Sociaux Kenya hosts conference on promotion of rule of law in Eastern Africa The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for Eastern Africa, jointly with the Kenyan government is organizing a two-day regional ministerial conference on “Promoting the Rule of Law and Human Security in Eastern Africa,” from November 23-24. Thirteen countries in the region are expected to discuss and politically endorse the draft Regional Programme “Promoting the Rule of Law and Human Security in Eastern Africa. The countries are Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, KENYA Nigeria considers closing 10 foreign missions-Official The Chairman of Nigeria's Presidential Advisory Committee on Foreign Affairs, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said that the Nigerian Government considers close down 10 of the country's foreign missions out of the 102 existing ones, media reports reveal here. Speaking on the state-owned international radio “Voice of Nigeria” (VON)'s Global Guest programme on Thursday in Lagos, Anyaoku said the decision to shut down the missions was contained in the committee's report (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, Politics, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, Diplomatiques AU chair outlines CEDAW impact on African women The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Jean Ping, has in a statement issued in Banjul indicated that many African countries have undertaken legal reforms at national level to ensure that the national legislations conform to the provisions in the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The statement was issued to the press on Thursday at the Africa Regional Conference on Women currently underway in the Gambian capital. According (...) - Gender / Gender, CEDEAO, English Headlines, GAMBIE, Humanity, Sociaux, UNION AFRICAINE Ireland grants UNICEF funds for nutrition activities in Malawi Ireland on Friday granted over 1.6 million euros to Malawi, through the UN International Children's Educational Fund (UNICEF), to improve nutrition in-take during the year starting from November 2009. The support is directed at three government priority areas of treatment of acute malnutrition, finalising preparations for the implementation of National Vitamin A Fortification Programme and Intensification of Nutrition Education which are under Malawi's National Nutrition Policy and Strategy (...) - ENVIRONMENT PAGE / MALAWI Transparency International says Liberia making progress on corruption A global survey carried out by Transparency International (TI) indicates that the Government of Liberia is gaining grounds in its fight against corruption, APA learns here. In its release, TI put Liberia at number 13 in 2009 out of 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa compared to 30th place in 2008. This indicates that Liberia's ranking on the Transparency International 2009 Corruption Perception index has improved by 42 places, a ranking of 97 out of 180 in 2008. “This is an indication that (...) - Business / Business, LIBERIA Nigerian House orders gov't to ensure Cameroon's compliance in Bakassi Following reports of frequent attacks on Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula by Cameroonian gendarmes, Nigeria's House of Representatives meeting Friday in Abuja urged the government to ensure that Cameroon honoured the provisions of the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) on the peninsula. Nigeria ceded the peninsula to Cameroon in compliance with the judgment of the International Court of Justice in spite of nationwide condemnation of the government's action. It was agreed that both (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, NIGERIA Lesotho Prime Minister offers advice to envoys in Maseru Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili has reminded his abroad-based envoys that they should always serve their nation with integrity, responsibility and passion for the benefit of the Basotho (people). Addressing the envoys in Maseru on Thursday as part of their two-week home consultation meetings, the Prime Minister said it was important for the diplomats to return home to renew their mandates as well as to report back to government on their activities abroad. Talking about the (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, LESOTHO EU condemns executions by stoning in Somalia The European Union has condemned the recent executions by stoning in Al Shabab-controlled areas of Somalia, including of a woman accused of adultery, close to the town of Wajid, and of Abas Hussein Abdirahman, in the town of Merka. The European Union has reiterated that it's opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and regrets the continued occurrence of executions in Somalia. “Execution by stoning is a particularly cruel and inhuman form of punishment,” noted a statement issued in (...) - Society / Society, SOMALIE, KENYA Malawi president urged to change issues of education in Africa The Africa Network on Campaign for Education For All (ANCEFA), a regional network working with national education coalitions in Africa, has urged Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika to help change the way the African Union (AU) was addressing issues of education Africa. Speaking in the capital Lilongwe on Friday, ANCEFA Policy Reasearch and Documentation Officer Limbani Nsapato said that Mutharika should use his capacity as an AU member to change matters of education in African countries in (...) - Education / Education, MALAWI EU praises Nigeria's dogged approach to child rights As the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the convention of the rights of the child, the Swedish Presidency of the European Union in Abuja on Friday praised Nigeria's dogged approach to ensuring a comprehensive implementation of the convention. A statement by the European Union said that although there were many challenges Nigerian children still faced, the “EU welcomes the progress made in the course of the 20 years since the convention was adopted.” “EU recognises that this (...) - Gender / Gender, NIGERIA Germany unification celebrated in Maseru The German embassy in Lesotho has celebrated the 19th anniversary of Germany's unification in the capital Maseru, and Foreign Affairs Mohlabi Tsekoa congratulated the Germans for their long journey and sacrifice by incorporating the once divided state into a Federal Republic of Germany. Tsekoa further expressed Lesotho's appreciation and gratitude to Germany over its long and sustainable support to this country. “Over the past years, Germany has contributed towards the development and (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, LESOTHO Mauritius ranked 42nd in TI global corruption perception index Mauritius holds the 42nd place in the Global Corruption Report 2009 of Transparency International, APA learns in the Mauritian capital Port Louis on Friday. Jacques de Navacelle, Executive Member of Transparency Mauritius (TM) indicated here that the island has scored 5.5 points in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) and that Mauritius has realised a medium performance. De Navacelle added that there has been no improvement from one year to the other though Mauritius boasts of all the (...) - Business / Business, MAURICE Mauritius tables 2009/10 budget Mauritius Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finances, Rama Sithanen has presented the 2009-2010 budget to Parliament prior to the general parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in July 2010, APA notes in the Mauritian capital Port Louis on Friday. Addressing the full house of Parliament here, Sithanen declared that the budget will consolidate the strategy that has been adopted to reform the economy and adjust the financial measures that had been previously announced so as to (...) - Economy / MAURICE Zimbabwe PM to meet Libyan leader over dispute with Mugabe Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai left Harare on Thursday for Morocco and Libya as he intensifies diplomatic pressure on his arch-rival President Robert Mugabe with whom he is locked in a power-sharing dispute. Tsvangirai said he would use a working visit to Morocco to garner North African support for his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which last month threatened to pull out of a fragile power-sharing government with Mugabe unless the veteran leader agreed to equitably share (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, ZIMBABWE Lesotho senators want borderline issue with SA settled Members of the Lesotho Senate on Thursday encouraged the government to engage in bilateral talks with the government of South Africa to redress Lesotho “border injustices inherited from the apartheid era.” Addressing Senators at the Upper House of the Parliament on Thursday, former head of Lesotho's army and Senator Lieutenant General Makhula Mosakeng said during the apartheid era, South African farmers distorted the original boundaries between the two countries by (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, SADC, AFRIQUE DU SUD, LESOTHO, Diplomatiques EAC leaders to launch customs union Friday The leaders of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi will launch on Friday in Arusha, Tanzania the East African Customs Union and award medals to the negotiators who have made it possible for the East African countries to reach this step towards the formation of a monetary union and a political federation. According to the Kampala State House on Thursday, Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni will join other East African leaders in a number of ceremonies during which they will mark the 10th (...) - Integration / Diplomacy, COMESA, TANZANIE, OUGANDA, Integration, Diplomatiques, COMESA Togo hosts 7th int'l trade fair Some 550 exhibitors from several countries in the world are expected at the Lome 7th International Trade Fair which opens on Friday in the Togolese capital, APA learns here from an official source. The director of the Togo Exhibitions Center (CETEF) Kueku-Banka Johnson said during a press conference that exhibitors are from 16 countries namely, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Syria and (...) - Business / Business, CEDEAO, TOGO, Foires et Salons, Commerciaux Lebanese singer apologizes to Egyptians amid ‘lawsuit' over lyrics The Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe is facing a lawsuit from black Egyptians after one of her songs referred to 'Nubian monkeys'. Official sources revealed here Thursday that Wehbe, considered one of the world's most beautiful women and a huge star in the Middle East, has apologized to Egypt's Nubian community for any offence she may have caused with the lyrics of her song Where is Daddy ? Her managers stated here Thursday that she said she had no idea of the racial connotations and that the (...) - Culture / Culture, EGYPTE, Culturels, Musique, DIASPORA Lesotho marks end of world quality week Lesotho marked the end of its World Quality Week in the capital, Maseru on Thursday, where the Minister of Trade Popane Lebesa said quality is essential to the success of every business. Briefing the media on the last day of World Quality Week, the Minister mentioned that manufacturers need to ensure quality in their production, as this can improve their bottom line whist also contributing towards job creation in the country. ”Quality is the highest level, which manufacturers or (...) - Business / Business, SADC, LESOTHO, Commerce, Commerciaux Sierra Leone lobbies EU, others over £20 million emergency health scheme Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma has made good use of his presence at the Donor Conference on Thursday in London to plead with the international community to intervene by funding his government's ambitious ‘New Health Plan'. In his key note speech to the Sierra Leone Investment and the donor community conference which opened in London Thursday, the Sierra Leonean leader unveiled his radical new scheme aimed at tackling his country's worsening health crisis (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, SIERRA LEONE, Development, ROYAUME UNI, Diplomatiques, Financiers Two African journalists receive CPJ 2009 press freedom awards Naziha Réjiba, editor of the Tunisian online news journal Kalima, and Mustafa Haji Abdinur, editor-in-chief of Radio Simba in Somalia are among the four recipients of the 2009 International Press Freedom Awards of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a CPJ press release said Thursday. CPJ gives the awards each year to courageous journalists working in dangerous and repressive circumstances. Describing state surveillance, Rejiba told reporters at the National Press Club in Washington (...) - Humanity / Society, TUNISIE, SOMALIE, Communication, Humanity, USA, Humanitaires, DIASPORA Maiden ECOWAS Cycling Tour flags off in Lagos No fewer than 72 male cyclists from 12 West African countries on Thursday in Lagos began the maiden Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Cycling Tour to run in four West African countries. The tour aims at creating more interaction and cooperation among ECOWAS member-states. The four-day tour which flagged off at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, will go through Seme border to Cotonou, Benin Republic. It would also pass through Port Novo, Lome (Togo) and terminate in (...) - Sports / Sports, CEDEAO, NIGERIA, une cyclisme, Cyclisme, Sportifs, CEDEAO Ugandan leader attends 11th EAC summit in Tanzania Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is in Arusha, Tanzania to attend the 11th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the East African Community (EAC), the observance of the EAC 10th anniversary and the signing of the Protocol establishing the East African Community Common Market. The summit is expected to officially open Friday 20 November, the day when the Protocol on the common market within the region, will be signed. The five members of the East African Community are Kenya, (...) - Integration / Diplomacy, COMESA, OUGANDA, Integration, Diplomatiques, COMESA Egypt recalls ambassador to Algeria for consultation Egypt has decided on Thursday to summon its ambassador to Algeria for consultation after attacks on Egyptian fans in Sudan and attacks on Egyptian citizens and properties in Algeria, state-run media reported. Earlier in the day, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador to Egypt Abdul Qader Haggar to inform him of Egypt's resentment over the attacks on Egyptian fans in Sudan and attacks on Egyptian citizens and properties in Algeria. This was the second summon in a week (...) - Diplomacy / Sports, COMESA, ALGERIE, EGYPTE, English Headlines, Football, Mondial 2010, Sportifs Int'l inquiry commission into Guinean crackdown begins works The International Inquiry Commission on the 28 September 2009 killings in Conakry, Guinea has stared its investigations on the ground, the UN Secretary General's spokesperson announced Wednesday in New York. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday met with Mohamed Bedjaoui, Francoise Ngendahayo Kayiramirwa and Pramila Patten, the three commissioners he appointed to lead the investigations into the human right abuses perpetrated on 28 September in Guinea that left at least 150 (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, CEDEAO, English Headlines, GUINEE, USA, Missions de Paix, ONU, Diplomatiques, Guinea, Guinee : L'Après Lansana Conté Kenyan leader attends EAC summit in Tanzania President Mwai Kibaki arrived in Arusha, Tanzania Thurday evening, for a three day official visit during which he will attend the 11th Summit of the Heads of State of the East African Community. The Plane carrying the Head of State and his delegation touched down at the Kilimanjaro International Airport shortly after 5-pm(local time). On arrival President Kibaki was received by senior Government officials of the republic of Tanzania and the Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania Ambassador (...) - Integration / KENYA, Integration Liberian VP expresses concern about climate change Liberia's Vice President Joseph N. Boakai says climate change poses a serious threat to the way of life in Liberia as in the rest of the world. According to the Liberian Vice President, climate change is real and there was a need to tackle it nationally and globally. Vice President Joseph Boakai made the statement Wednesday at the launch of the 2009 State of the World Population report. The report launched on the main campus of the University of the Liberia under the theme “Facing a (...) - Nature / Nature, CEDEAO, LIBERIA, Scientifiques, Populations Ethiopian court convicts 26 in alleged coup plot The Federal High Court convicted on Thursday 26 defendants, including one general, and acquitted 5 others who were arrested six months ago in Addis Ababa and other part of the country for taking part in coup plots. The court has been hearing the case for the past three months following the arrest of over 30 people whom the federal prosecutors of Ethiopia accused of plotting to commit a coup against the regime. Accordingly, the Federal High Court of Ethiopia on Thursday convicted 26 while (...) - Politics / Politics, COMESA, ETHIOPIE, Impunite, Politiques Nigerian convicted in UK for ‘bullying' Vicar's daughter to death A Nigerian teenager, described by prosecutors as “manipulative and callous”, will have to wait till December to be sentenced for her conviction on manslaughter charges in the United Kingdom. She and a friend were charged with "relentlessly" tormenting a vicar's daughter to the point where she jumped 50ft from a building to her death, a court heard Wednesday. Oluwakemi Ajose, 17, along with her 13-year-old British accomplice, Hatice Can, was convicted of manslaughter by a jury at the Old (...) - Society / Society, NIGERIA Italy to support coast guard project in Congolese town Italy is going to support the Congolese government set up coastguards in Pointe-Noire, the economic capital in the department of Kouilou (South), APA learnt. « The current agreement is aimed at setting up closer cooperation in the framework of the coast guards project in Pointe Noire », the ambassador of Italy to Congo, Francesco Paolo Venier, said Wednesday following a meeting with vice-minister of Merchant Marine, Martin Parfait Aimé Coussoud Mavoungou. Italy will help Congo acquire (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, CEEAC, CONGO, Techniques, ITALIE Germany pledges €30 million support to African Union Germany announced €30 million to support the African Union (AU) activities in the continent for the next two years, APA learns Thursday. The announcement was made during a negotiation on Development Cooperation between the AU and the Government of Germany held late on Wednesday in the presence of officials from both sides at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. The German delegation emphasized the pivotal role of the AU for the process of African integration and for Africa as a (...) - Diplomacy / Diplomacy, COMESA, ETHIOPIE, Development, Integration, ALLEMAGNE, Cooperation bilaterale, UNION AFRICAINE, Le fil financier ADF approves US$ 16 million for rural income project in Uganda The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) approved US$ 16.23 million loan to finance a Rural Income and Employment Enhancement Project (RIEEP) in Uganda, said a press release APA received on Thursday. According to the release from the African Development bank (AfDB), the loan was approved on Tuesday in Tunis, Tunisia. The objective of the project is to help reduce rural poverty in Uganda by facilitating access to and utilization of affordable financial and business (...) - Development / Business, Social, COMESA, TUNISIE, OUGANDA, Development, Financiers, Le fil financier Liberian leader harps on importance of infrastructure Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf averred that infrastructure is key to developing the private sector, and that the attainment of growth and development would continue to be constrained, if this issue is not tackled, APA learns here Thursday. According to a presidential mansion press statement, the Liberian leader made the remarks Wednesday at the opening of a three-day Infrastructure Management Retreat taking place in the capital Monrovia. Sirleaf indicated that Liberia which is (...) - Development / Politics, CEDEAO, LIBERIA, Development, Economiques French agency finances sustainable projects in Mauritius The French Development Agency (FDA) will financially support the "Mauritius Sustainable Island" (MSI) project to the tune of € 125 million, APA learns in the Mauritian capital Port Louis on Thursday. Following the signing ceremony of the agreement here, FDA president Pierre-André Wilter said the total loan his organisation is giving to the island in 2009 will amount to € 230 million. He added that apart from financing the MSI project, part of the loan will finance the sewerage (...) - Development / Diplomacy, SADC, MAURICE, FRANCE, Development, Diplomatiques, Le fil financier Uganda Cranes prepare for CECAFA tourney in Nairobi The Uganda national soccer squad, Uganda Cranes, have embarked on intensive training ahead of the 36th Confederation for Eastern and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) senior soccer challenge cup to be held in Nairobi from 28 November to 13 December in the Kenyan capital. The 36th edition of the CECAFA cup attracts teams from Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Burundi, Djibouti, Zanzibar and Zambia. Uganda Cranes are the defending champions and (...) - Sports / Sports, COMESA, OUGANDA, KENYA, Integration, Football, Sportifs Mozambique 's ARV factory to be operational this year : Officials Health authorities in Mozambique have announced that the first phase of an anti-retroviral medication factory was due to be operational by the end of 2009, according to local media reports on Thursday, citing Brazilian officials. Mozambique has approved the construction of a pharmaceutical plant that will provide drugs to treat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases. The drugs are also slated to be exported to other African countries. The installation of the anti-retroviral medication plant (...) - ENVIRONMENT PAGE / MOZAMBIQUE Data : Mozambique's population reaches 20.2m Mozambique's National Institute of Statistics (INE) has announced that the country's population increased by 4.9 million people from 1997 to 2007, registering a total of 20.2 million citizens. INE´s final figures from the 2007 census published in Maputo showed that life expectancy rose from 42.3 years to 49.4 years, while the infant mortality rate fell from a previous 145.7 to 118.3 for every 1,000 live births, according to the 3rd Population and Housing Census in Mozambique which took two (...) - Society / Society, MOZAMBIQUE | |||||||||
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