East Africa
Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010
In focus Mandela aide charged over Naomi Campbell diamonds
Pretoria: The head of Nelson Mandela's charity fund has been charged with illegally keeping uncut diamonds given to him by supermodel Naomi Campbell. Jeremy Ractliffe admitted he had the gems only when Ms Campbell mentioned him at ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor's war crimes trial in August. He then handed the gems to police and resigned as a trustee of the fund. Prosecutors say the stones are "blood diamonds" which Mr Taylor gave to Ms Campbell after a dinner in 1997. Ms Campbell gave evidence at Mr Taylor's trial before a UN special court in The Hague in August. South African prosecutors have now charged Mr Ractliffe, the former chief executive of the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund (NMCF), under the Diamonds Act of 1956. His case has been adjourned until 27 October. At the trial, Ms Campbell said she was given some "dirty-looking stones" after a 1997 charity dinner hosted by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela where Mr Taylor was also a guest.
15 killed in Nigeria bombings
Abuja: At least 15 people were killed when terrorist attacked Nigeria’s 50th independence day celebrations with bombs last week. Condemning the attacks, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan promised that those behind the act "will pay dearly for this heinous crime." Nigeria's former colonial master, Britain condemned the act and promised to partner with oil-rich African nation to bring the attackers to book even as United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon also denounced the attacks.United States also condemned the attack and condoled with families of those who lost their lives. Three explosions, including one at the venue where the Nigerian President was present just 40 metres away, rocked the country's 50th independence day celebrations. But the ceremony went ahead despite the explosions. About 15 foreign leaders, including a representative of Queen Elizabeth 11 and a delegation from India led by Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid were present during the attack.
Sudan delays referendum voters' registration
Khartoum: Sudan has delayed the registration of voters for January's referendum on secession for the south until November, raising tensions over the timetable. The chairman of the referendum commission said this was to allow for staff training and delivery of forms. Tanzania's former President Benjamin Mkapa, appointed by the UN to oversee the vote, said many challenges lie ahead. But he said if all parties were willing, the timetable would be met. The referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal to end two decades of conflict between the north and oil-rich south in which some 1.5 million people died. Analysts fear there is a risk of the conflict restarting if southerners feel that Khartoum is trying to delay or disrupt the vote in the oil-rich region - one of the world's poorest and least developed regions.
South Africa plans a solar power park
Pretoria: South Africa plans to invest in a solar power energy park in order to help meet increasing electricity demands, the department of energy has announced. The country experienced rolling blackouts in 2008 and has been rationing electricity ever since. The solar park will be built in the Northern Cape Province and generate 5,000 megawatts of energy, about 11% of the country's current power capacity. Officials said a new nuclear power plant was also being considered. At the moment most of South Africa's electricity is generated from coal-fired power stations. The energy department says the country needs to increase its energy production by 40,000 megawatts over the next 10 years. South Africa also supplies electricity to a few neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe. Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said a study done last year showed that the Northern Cape was the ideal location for the park.
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Kenyan passes away leaving behind 100 widows Washington: A Kenyan, who earned himself the nickname "Danger" because women found him so attractive, has passed away after marrying more than 100 women in his lifetime and fathering nearly 200 children. Ancentus Akuku, who was Kenya's most prominent polygamist, was in his late 90s when he passed away of natural causes. Akuku, who married his first wife in 1939, became a polygamist some 70 years ago at the age of 22, and he outlived 12 of his wives, marrying the
last one in 1992. He fathered so many children that he established two elementary schools solely to educate them, and he also built a church for his growing family to attend. In many tribes having several wives was a sign of wealth and status for a man, and Danger Akuku represented the ultimate symbol of traditional manhood. While young Kenyans paid their respects to the man with over 100 wives, most said that lifestyle is not possible in today's environment.
"I had heard of Akuku Danger back in the day when I was a teen, and I still wonder how he did this," ABC News quoted Jeff Kilumi, a businessman in Nairobi, as saying. "Right now, even if I had a lot of money, 'Bill Gates' rich, I wouldn't even go for a second wife. The more the women, the more the headache and stress," he stated. While many Kenyan women had mothers and grandmothers who were part of polygamous households, most urban young women say a life
like Akuku's with all his wives living together peacefully would be impossible to achieve today. "We all understand that polygamy was allowed back then in some Kenyan communities, but Akuku is something else," Linet Wambui, a Nairobi saleswoman, said. "Personally, I would never be married to a man who has another wife let alone a hundred more. Those women were clearly different. Try having an Akuku at this day and age, the women would kill one another," she added.
Africa democratic rights advances reversed, says report Khartoum: Africa is developing economically but some democratic been have advances reversed, an annual index suggests.The Mo Ibrahim African of Index Governance ranks 53 African countries according to 88 indicators, ranging from corruption to education. Mauritius is at the top of the list while Somalia is at the bottom. The index suggests that across Africa, economic and health gains are being undermined by declines in political rights, security and the rule of law. The index, which has
been published since 2007, scores countries on a scale of zero to 100. It is sponsored by the Sudanese Mo mogul telecoms Ibrahim. "While many are citizens African becoming healthier and have greater access to economic opportunities than five years ago, many of them are less physically secure and less politically enfranchised," Mr Ibrahim said in a statement. In this year's report, the average score was 49 - largely unchanged from previous years. Mauritius (82), the and (75) Seychelles
Botswana (74) top the overall rankings, while Somalia (8), Chad (31) Democratic the and Republic of Congo (32) are at the bottom. Angola, Liberia and Togo saw marked improvements in their scores, and Eritrea while Madagascar slipped significantly. The index groups indicators in four groups. them, of two In Economic Sustainable Opportunity and Human Development, the picture was mostly positive - and in fact no country declined significantly in these categories, the index authors
DR Congo sexual abuse victims speak to UN Kinshasa: The victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo narrated their experiences to a highlevel UN panel as part of efforts to improve treatment and support. The hearings began last week in the troubled eastern region of South Kivu. The panel will then travel to provinces throughout the DRC. The move follows the release of a preliminary UN report into the shocking rape of hundreds of civilians in North Kivu province two months ago. The report, released recently, documented a four-day attack on the eastern town of Luvungi, and nearby villages which are within miles of a UN base.
UN panel to hear from victims of sexual attacks
It said three groups of armed militia raped 235 women, 52 girls, 13 men and three boys many of them "multiple times". The militia looted more than 900 houses and abducted 116 people. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said the "scale and viciousness" of the attack "defied belief". Numerous armed groups still roam parts of eastern DR Congo, although the
country's war officially ended in 2003. Thousands of people are raped each year, with sexual violence widely used as a weapon of war, but victims have little access to justice. Victims of sexual attacks were asked to give their experiences of the legal, medical or psychological services available to them. The aim of the hearings is to improve the treatment, support and compensation currently given to victims. A UN spokesperson said that it was an opportunity to place victims of sexual abuse at the heart of discussions in order to better understand their actual needs. If successful, this type of hearing could be implemented in other countries.
said. But in the other two categories - Safety and and Law, of Rule Participation and Human Rights - the picture was grimmer. On the economic front, progress was made, with 41 of the 53 registering nations improvements. Top five Mauritius, countries: Botswana, Seychelles, Cape Verde, South Africa Bottom five: Somalia, Congo, DR Chad, Zimbabwe, Eritrea. Forty one of 53 countries improved economically. But 35 states have become less secure.
pirates hijack ship with 15 Indian crew Mombasa: Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship with 15 Indian crew off the coast of Tanzania, a maritime watchdog said. The MT Asphalt Venture was heading to Durban after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa, Kenya, when it was attacked about 110 miles (175km) south-east of Dar es Salaam. Ecoterra International said the vessel turned around and began heading towards the Somali port of Harardhere. The ship is owned by United Arab Emirates company Bitumen Invest. "Information from the ground says a pirate group... had captured the vessel and is heading towards Harardhere at the central Somali Indian Ocean coast," Ecoterra said in a statement.
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