Former Central African Republic Leader Returns From Exile

Ex-Central African Republic president returns from exile: aide

Fri Oct 30, 4:42 PM

BANGUI (AFP) - The former president of the Central African Republic, Ange-Felix Patasse, returned home Friday after more than six years in exile, a close aide told AFP.

Patasse was president from 1999 until March 2003, when he was deposed by Francois Bozize, who is still in power, and since then has been living in exile in Togo.

He plans to stand in 2010 presidential elections.

A close aide to the former president, Sosthene Nguetel, said the homecoming had taken place without incident. Patasse, however, did not speak to the press, and was moved from the airport to a secret location.

Security was tight around Bangui airport, with the press kept away by a large deployment of police and soldiers.

Bozize’s government has said that it would not oppose the return to the country of its former leader, and the two politicians are expected to meet in the coming days, Patasse’s aides said.

Patasse had urged his supporters inside the country to stage a peaceful reception for him and to respect law and order.

Judge Refuses to Recuse Himself in Jackie Selebi Trial

Selebi trial: Judge Joffe stands firm

ADRIAAN BASSON AND ILHAM RAWOOT | JOHANNESBURG - Oct 30 2009 12:59

Judge Meyer Joffe has declined to recuse himself from hearing the Jackie Selebi corruption trial.

In a strongly worded ruling, read out to the South Gauteng High Court on Friday, Meyer meticulously went through each of Selebi’s complaints against him, and dismissed each with phrases like “unfounded” or “unfortunate and wrong”.

This means Joffe will continue to preside over the marathon trial of the former top cop, which will resume on Monday when Selebi’s counsel, Jaap Cilliers, will continue his cross-examination of drug dealer Glenn Agliotti.

After reciting rulings from Constitutional Court and Supreme Court of Appeal judgements, he laid down the basis for his decision by listing all of Selebi’s complaints, and finding that all of them gave no reasonable suspicion of bias, and were “without merit” or “ill-founded”. He did not concede to a single complaint.

“I have considered the complaints objectively,” said Joffe. “I am unable to conclude on the papers before me that any single complaint … or all the complaints … show bias or give rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias. The application for my recusal is dismissed.”

Selebi’s complaints included Joffe’s alleged hostility towards Cilliers, Joffe not reprimanding state prosecutor Gerrie Nel for his alleged misconduct in the trial, and accusations that Joffe “assisted” Agliotti in finding “a way out”, when it appeared Agliotti had lied.

Selebi told the Mail & Guardian Online after the ruling: “I’m feeling OK, I’m good.” When the M&G Online asked if he is looking forward to relating his side of the story, Selebi said: “My time will come.”

‘I have not been affected by the media’

Argument in the recusal application took place on Thursday. “Your lordship was to some extent hostile to the defence,” said Cilliers during his argument, referring to interactions between himself and Joffe when he attempted to cross-examine Agliotti on the contents of an article in City Press newspaper.

Cilliers said that he has been in his profession for a long time, and was used to “rude remarks from the bench”, to which Joffe, clearly disturbed, replied, “I take the greatest umbrage in that.”

Cilliers, although taking jabs at Joffe’s neutrality, insisted throughout his arguments that he was “not suggesting that your lordship is deliberately dishonest”, but, rather that his actions may cause Selebi to perceive or suspect that he is biased.

State prosecutor Gerrie Nel then had his turn to speak and called Selebi’s application for the judge’s recusal “weak”.

“There is no real merit in this application,” he said, adding that the application was based on attacking the prosecution, the Scorpions and the National Prosecuting Authority.

Nel also dismissed the strength of Cilliers’s earlier claim that Joffe’s partiality was affected by media reports.

“The accused is not the first person to stand trial with a media campaign against him,” said Nel. “I’m going to refer to … Advocate Barbie. That case ran for about a year. The judge passed away and another judge had to take over. Are you saying that we have to ask every judge ‘did you read the papers?’”.

Joffe, whose mood appeared to have lifted after the lunch break, replied: “Are you asking me to pass away?” to laughter, and a sense of relief, from the courtroom.

Joffe then removed his glasses and said: “This is a very difficult application because it goes to my every essence. I consider myself a well-informed South African. I get a number of papers delivered to my home. But I do not read matters that are not fact … I have not been affected by the media.”

‘How long have you been senior counsel?’

Earlier on Thursday, Cilliers listed the ways in which Selebi felt that Joffe had been biased against him. The first was that when Agliotti admitted to lying to the court Joffe did not raise the issue of the “conduct of the prosecution” who “had knowledge of the fact that their witness was lying”.

Cilliers’s next point was that chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel and his prosecuting team withheld important documents from the defence, which they then included in a bundle they had handed to Joffe.

“The prosecution acted with ulterior motive … they manipulated the evidence,” said Cilliers. “You did not raise how it came about that the documents were put in that bundle.”

Joffe, appearing to be nearing the end of his tether, asked Cilliers: “Mr Cilliers, how long have you been senior counsel? If you felt hard done by by Mr Nel’s conduct, why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve dealt with it. Why do you put it at my door and not raise it yourself … I’m being taken to task for not chastising Mr Nel. I’m putting it to you, why didn’t you raise the objection?”

The third issue revolved around a controversial City Press article of two weeks ago, which described a video that had been leaked to the newspaper by an unknown source. Joffe had not allowed Cilliers to complete cross-examining Agliotti on the article.

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-30-selebi-trial-judge-joffe-stands-firm

UN welcomes United States removal of entry restriction based on HIV status

The United Nations agency spearheading the world body’s efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic today welcomed the decision of the United States to remove 22-year-old entry restrictions based on HIV status.

SEAL THE DEAL: UN project seeks to protect West African coastline from erosion

In West Africa, the coast is more than just a simple marker between land and sea. It’s also the home of millions - as much as 80 per cent of the populations of many countries live nearby - and a vital source of livelihoods and income thanks to the critical industries of fishing and tourism.

President Jacob Zuma of the Republic of South Africa Addresses thePan-African Parliament in Midrand

Address by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Mr Jacob Zuma, to the Pan African Parliament; Gallagher Estate, Midrand
26 October 2009

Your Excellency, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Dr Idriss Ndele Moussa;
Your Excellency, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr Jean Ping,
Honourable Ministers, Deputy Ministers,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Honoured Members of the Pan African Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen;

I feel greatly honoured and privileged to address the First Ordinary Session of the Second Legislature of the Pan-African Parliament.

On behalf of the Government and people of South Africa, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all participants in this inaugural session.

I would also like to congratulate the new Bureau on its election to office; in particular the new President of Pan-African Parliament.

This year marks the 5th anniversary of the formation of the Pan-African Parliament in March 2004.

It is a date that will be recorded in history as a pivotal moment in our efforts to ensure that the peoples of Africa determine their collective future.

The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament was informed by a vision to provide a common platform for African peoples to be more involved in decisions on the challenges facing the continent.

These decisions affect people directly.

We therefore need to find ways and means for people to be part of the processes that have an impact on their lives.

The Pan-African Parliamentarians are the elected representatives of the peoples of Africa.

We remain committed to the aim of the Pan-African Parliament to evolve into an institution with full legislative powers, whose members are elected by universal adult suffrage.

As a forum representing the parliaments and peoples of Africa, the Pan-African Parliament has a major role to play in deepening democratic ideals and ensuring respect for the rule of law, and equality throughout the continent.

We need to pose the question: What does it means to deepen democratic ideals, and how do we ensure respect for the rule of law?

Importantly, do we all have a common understanding of what these concepts mean?

This Parliament needs to help elucidate these concepts, so that this common understanding becomes entrenched on our continent and in individual countries.

Excellencies and Honourable Members;

It is fundamentally important that we encourage other member states to ratify the Protocol establishing the Pan-African Parliament.

The Pan-African Parliament is the only continental institution that has such broad representation of the public representatives of Africa.

It is this institution that constitutes a single collective voice of the ordinary people of our continent.

They are, in the main, voiceless in many existing forums, be they political, economic, cultural, religious or traditional.

It is therefore an appropriate institution to exercise oversight to ensure that governments pursue African Union programmes at the continental level and national programmes within individual countries.

It must speak on behalf of the peoples of Africa, and diligently pursue their common interests.

As the host country, South Africa is determined to provide the best possible conditions for this assembly to successfully discharge its mandate.

Excellencies, and Honourable Members;
Five years ago, members of the Pan-African Parliament adopted the slogan “One Africa, One Voice”.

The pertinent question is how do we realise this ‘one voice’ without a serious debate on the matters of life and death that face our continent?

We have not been able to discuss properly many of these problems, particularly the outstanding issue of conflict and war.

This slogan means we need to give concrete expression to our commitment to the continuation of the Pan-Africanist agenda pursued by the founding leaders of post-colonial Africa.

This is to be realised through the harmonisation and coordination of the policies and laws made at national and regional levels, and by promoting a sense of unity and common destiny among the people of Africa.

At the 12th Summit of the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament was mandated to develop a mechanism to ensure sound and effective contact, as well as the full participation of the peoples of Africa within the integration processes of Africa.

This mandate truly speaks to the confidence that we all continue to have in the Pan-African Parliament as one of the lead agents in the democratic project in Africa.

Once again, the question we must answer is what is our common understanding of the democratic project in Africa?

During the week of the 5th to 9th of October 2009 the Pan-African Parliament hosted important consultative meetings focusing on gender issues and the promotion of the work of the Pan-African Parliament through different African Parliaments.

I would like to congratulate the Pan-African Parliament for the initiative as well as successful deliberations held.

We look forward to implementation of the outcomes of the Conferences.

I firmly believe that the outcomes thereof will guide the Honourable Members in fruitful and vibrant deliberations during this Session.

Excellencies and Honourable Members;
This Parliament has many weighty matters to consider during its term.

Critically, it has to ensure that its deliberations strengthen the continent-wide effort to promote development, economic growth, peace, stability and democracy.

On four of these issues – peace, stability, human rights and democracy – the Pan-African Parliament can no longer delay a detailed discussion leading up to specific resolutions and recommendations to the AU.

If these issues are not discussed, there would be very little point for the existence of this Parliament

When it rises, this assembly needs to be able to point to progress in advancing these goals.

It needs to demonstrate that it is not merely a forum for debate, but an institution that forms an essential part of the renewal of our continent.

While we have achieved much since our people threw off the colonial yoke, we face many challenges.

Though we have achieved much in just the last few years, we cannot become complacent.

Africa’s people remain among the poorest in the world.

This is despite our continent being richly endowed with natural resources.

Our people remain exposed to disease and malnutrition, with high rates of child mortality and declining life expectancy, despite significant medical advances and improved health care provision.

Parts of our continent are still plagued by war and conflict, political instability and the removal of governments by unconstitutional means.

In such circumstances, development is stifled and economic activity severely curtailed.

It is the ordinary people who suffer – the very people that we in this assembly represent.

This is an indictment of all of us, individually and collectively.

We therefore have a profound responsibility to do everything we can to answer these challenges, and to build a better life for our peoples.

We proceed from an understanding that it is not sufficient for each national parliament to diligently undertake its work.

While it is possible for any one country to improve its situation, it is by working together that we can achieve that which our people need.

For this reason, among others, we are encouraged that the Pan-African Parliament will soon be able to transform itself from an advisory into a legislative body.

We look forward to the day when the peoples of Africa can send their representatives to the seat of this Parliament to fashion laws that will bring about a tangible improvement in all their lives.

Honourable Members,
Those who are gathered in this assembly are the most potent embodiment of democracy in Africa.

Among your responsibilities is to further instil democratic values and deepen democratic practices across the continent.

Already, the Pan-African Parliament has played an important role in contributing towards fair, free and transparent elections in a number of countries.

It needs to broaden this element of its work, which must include adopting standards for the holding of elections, so that the right of people to choose their own governments democratically is not undermined.

Important as elections are to the democratic process, they are but one element of a range of political, social and economic activities that must enable people to determine their own future.

We need to encourage people to organise, mobilise and work for their own advancement.

We need to support the development of grassroots structures and sectoral organisations.

It is our responsibility to build people’s power, not only within these walls, but in every place on this continent where people live and work.

Honourable Members,
This Parliament is also an embodiment of African unity.

Its mere existence is a confirmation that the vision of African unity that motivated so many of our continent’s greatest leaders remains undiminished.

The question of unity is what the founders of the OAU worked to achieve over many decades.

It is the matter this Parliament cannot avoid discussing at all times to support the efforts of the AU.

In this way, through this Parliament, the people of this continent will find a way to participate in the ongoing discussion on the African union government.

History has bestowed on us the responsibility to make a reality of that vision of unity.

In all our engagements, we should seek to preserve unity among our nations and advance a unified programme for development.

This Parliament is an important part of the political integration of our continent.

It will become increasingly important as we proceed towards the formation of a union government for Africa.

As we pursue this important objective, we must pay greater attention to the economic integration of our continent.

It is in this area where Africa’s greatest untapped economic potential is to be found.

Our economic development is hampered by the barriers we ourselves have constructed along the lines of the colonial maps.

As a consequence, we find ourselves divided into more than 50 different markets, with a multiplicity of trade and investment regulations, manufacturing standards, currencies, and jurisdictions.

Our electricity, transport and telecommunications infrastructure is fragmented, and often not compatible.

We do not collaborate in scientific development and technological innovation.

Most of our countries have a greater volume of trade with countries across the ocean than with those with whom we share the same soil.

It is a standing joke that there are some places in Africa where one has to fly to a European capital in order to catch a flight to a neighbouring country.

These are the very practical constraints to the progress of our continent, and the liberation of our peoples from the tyranny of underdevelopment.

Excellencies and Honourable Members,
South Africa is privileged to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup from June next year, which will be the first time that the tournament is held on African soil.

We hope that this historic event can be used as a driving force for African unity.

We hope that all of Africa will embrace this occasion as an opportunity to showcase our continent in all its diversity, richness and vibrancy.

To the Honourable Members of this Pan-African Parliament, the representatives of the people of this great continent, we thank you for the opportunity to address you and wish you well in all your deliberations.

I thank you.

Lebanon: UN envoy and Hizbollah official meet to discuss recent rocket fire

The United Nations Special Coordinator today met with a senior Hizbollah official to discuss the recent incident in which a rocket was fired from a southern Lebanese village into northern Israel, prompting Israel to return fire.

Ban announces members of commission to look into bloody Guinean crackdown

Three prominent jurists will form the international commission of inquiry to probe last month’s violent crackdown on unarmed demonstrators in Guinea that led to the deaths of at least 150 people and the rape of many others, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today.

Today on New Scientist: 30 October 2009

Today’s stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: where ghosts come from, the rise and fall of asylums, and some very flexible female bats

UN agency shocked as displaced Yemenis come under attack

The United Nations refugee agency said it is shocked and saddened at reports that an unknown number of displaced Yemeni civilians have been killed and wounded during an exchange of fire in the strife-torn northern part of the country yesterday.

West African Girls Worst Victims of Economic Crisis

West African girls worst victims of economic crisis: NGO

DAKAR (AFP) – Young girls in west Africa will be disproportionately affected by the global economic downturn, children’s charity Plan International warned on Friday.

“The global economic crisis does threaten many of the recent advances we have seen in west Africa especially for girls,” Plan chief executive officer Niger Chapman told a press conference in Dakar.

Young women are often the first victims of any economic downturn because they are already in a marginalised position and seen as being worth less to their families, according to Plan’s 2009 report titled “Because I’m a girl”.

“They are the most vulnerable, the least likely to survive, be fed, go to school and stay healthy,” Plan said.

In west Africa the position of girls in society is even more fragile than in other developing regions because they suffer from more gender discrimination, Plan spokeswoman Stefanie Conrad said.

“We know from our day-to-day work that once household resources get scarce girls quit school because a girl’s education is less valued,” she said.

West Africa already has far lower rates of enrolment and success for girls in school than other developing regions, she said.

The effects of the crisis could be long term in the region, where many girls are pulled of school to save money or forced to stay home and look after their siblings while their mothers find jobs to supplement the family income.

“Every year is precious in a child’s life. You only get the chance once and if you miss school (as a child) it is difficult to catch up later,” Chapman said.

Although Plan is not launching a particular campaign linked to its report, the organisation said it was looking at how it can continue to contribute to improving the situation of girls in the region through programs such as sponsoring of children and supporting mircofinance schemes, Chapman said.