News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Schoolkids jailed for defacing president’s portrait

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 09:23 AM PDT

Eleven teenage school children in the city of Muramvya province, have been jailed for scribbling on pictures of Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza.

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Bujumbura, Burundi – Eleven teenage school children, aged between 14 and 19 years, from two secondary schools in the city of Muramvya province, have been jailed for scribbling on pictures of Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza.

Burundian authorities said they have charged six schoolboys and five schoolgirls for insulting the Head of State.

Legal experts told African News Agency (ANA) that this crime may be punished by an imprisonment ranging from six months to five years and a fine between US$5 and US$25.

At a the meeting among provincial authorities, security forces and parents of the children on Monday, the parents demanded the immediate and unconditional release of their children. The children were arrested by security forces and intelligence agents last Friday.

But the authorities refused to accede to the demands of the parents. The children remain in jail.

“I was expecting my son to become an important person, but now my hope is gone,” said the distraught mother of one of the arrested boys.

Parents of some of the jailed children said the accusations were unsubstantiated.

“Our children never come home with their books and one book is used by many pupils of three classes. How can they know who exactly among them made the scribbles?” asked a concerned father, who asked not to be named.

The man said no one had come forward to testify that they had seen his child scribbling on the picture.

“They have to release our children immediately,” he said.

Governor of Muramvya province, Emmanuel Ndikuriyo, has promised to find a solution to the situation, but also says “justice has to do its job too”.

“The Muramvya province used to be the capital of the kingdom in the times of kings in Burundi. The people of this province are supposed to know very well the importance of authorities because after God came the king,” said Ndikuriyo.

“Today we have no kings in the country but it is President Nkurunziza who replaced them. So he is in the second position of honour after God and has to be respected.”

Ndikuriyo told parents that their children “had behaved badly” but that he would keep consulting judicial authorities to resolve the matter.

A similar incident occurred two weeks ago in Ruziba zone, 20 miles southwest of Bujumbura. More than 300 high school children were expelled from school for scribbling on pictures of Nkurunziza.

African News Agency

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Woman ‘fatally shoot self while taking selfies’

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 05:59 AM PDT

A Briton was detained in connection with the death of a Kenyan woman who was at his home when a gun she was holding while taking “selfies” went off, his lawyer said.

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Nairobi - A Briton was detained on Monday in connection with a murder investigation into the death of a Kenyan woman who was at his home when a gun she was holding while taking “selfies” went off, his lawyer said.

Richard Alden, a 53-year-old businessman, took Grace Wangeci, 42, to a hospital near his home in Nairobi's upscale Karen district on Saturday where she was pronounced dead on arrival, his lawyer Evans Monari told Reuters.

“From what I hear, she was taking pictures, 'selfies' with a gun and it went off,” he said, adding the incident involved a pistol and that it went off at while his friend Wangeci was at Alden's house in Karen helping him move.

“Richard says he is not responsible,” Monari said.

“The girl shot herself by accident.”

He said Alden was detained on Saturday and the court ordered on Monday that be held for a further five days.

“The police are investigating a murder case,” Monari said.

Charges have not been filed.

Alden is married with three adult children, Monari said.

Alden's wife was abroad at the time of the incident but had since returned to Kenya.

Monari said Alden would return to court on Friday.

Reuters

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Malawi sees surge in attacks on albinos

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 01:18 AM PDT

Malawian police say the growing violence comes after neighbouring Tanzania imposed tough measures against such trade in January 2015.

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Lilongwe, Malawi - She is haunted daily by the image of the decapitated head of her 9-year-old son. Police asked Edna Cedrick to identify it after the boy, who had albinism, was snatched from her arms in a violent struggle.

The death in February was one in a recent surge in killings and abductions of people with albinism in this southern African country. They are targeted for their body parts, which are sold to be used in potions made by witch doctors who claim they bring wealth and good luck.

At least 18 albino people have been killed in Malawi in a “steep upsurge in killings” since November 2014, and five others have been abducted and remain missing, according to a new Amnesty International report released on Tuesday.

The toll is likely much higher because many killings in rural areas are never reported, according to the report. Malawi police also have recorded cases where the bodies of people with albinism have been illegally exhumed.

Malawian police say the growing violence comes after neighbouring Tanzania imposed tough measures against such trade in January 2015.

Cedrick, the mother of the murdered boy, recounted his abduction to The Associated Press last month while holding the murdered boy’s surviving twin brother, who also has albinism.

In the middle of the night, she said, she woke to the sound of people kicking down the door of the house. Her husband was away.

“Before I could understand what was happening, they sliced the mosquito net and grabbed one of the twins,” the 26-year-old said, tears in her eyes. “I held on to him by holding his waist, at the same time shielding the other with my back.”

When they could not overpower her, one assailant hacked her in the forehead with a machete, she said.

“This dazed me, and I lost hold of my son and he was gone. I shouted for help, but when my relatives rushed to our house, they were gone.”

The boy’s twin keeps asking where his brother is, she said. She lies, saying he will return.

On the same day of the interview, a deadly attack was carried out in another part of Malawi on 38 year-old Fletcher Masina, an albino father of four. When his body was found, the limbs were missing.

“The macabre trade is also fuelled by a belief that bones of people with albinism contain gold,” the rights group says, noting another mistaken belief is that sex with a person with albinism can cure HIV. The report also points out widespread discrimination against people with albinism, including by family members.

Activists in Malawi recently took to the streets to protest, marching to parliament to present a petition calling for strict penalties for people who attack or kill people with albinism.

President Peter Mutharika has since established a committee to look into the issue, which he called disgusting.

“That anybody could think that you can be rich by using bones or something like that because some witch doctors have said so... That’s stupidity,” he told a political rally on June 1.

Police concede that a lack of security has caused persons with albinism, and their parents, to live in fear of attack.

“In rural areas where these attacks are rampant, we do not have enough police officers,” the officer in charge in Machinga district, Isaac Maluwa, said.

When an AP crew in Machinga district stopped to talk to a man riding a bicycle and carrying a 3-year-old albino boy, he charged at the crew with a knife.

The man, 31-year-old Razik Jaffalie, later explained that he is in dire straits after giving up his work as a bicycle taxi operator to protect his son.

“My life has come to a standstill,” Jaffalie said, then declared: “Anyone who will come to try to snatch my child from me will have to kill me first.”

Amid the fears, there are stories of optimism.

Mina Godfrey, a 13-year-old girl with albinism in Machinga district, said she placed first in her latest school exams and hopes to become a lawyer.

But this comes after she survived being abducted from her bed at night by her uncle.

“I was deep in sleep when next thing I realised was that I was outside the house, naked, while heavy rains pouring down on me,” she said.

“When I screamed, my uncle grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and I choked.”

She tried to flee but was tied to a bicycle that her attackers used to transport her.

“But when we went to the next stop, they untied me to negotiate with the buyer and started discussing before moving away a little bit, giving me an opportunity to run away again,” she said.

She escaped to a nearby house, where she squatted until the owner found her in the morning.

Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s director for southern Africa, concluded: “The time has come for the government of Malawi to stop burying its head in the sand and pretending that this problem will just go away.”

AP

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Niger vows to avenge deadly Boko Haram raid

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 01:15 AM PDT

Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 26 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents.

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Niamey - Niger vowed to avenge the deaths of 26 of its soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents in one of the jihadist group's deadliest attacks in the country.

“We must continue to fight, this insult must be expunged, there is nothing to be done, it must be avenged,” Defence Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said on Sunday.

The minister was speaking to troops at a garrison at Bosso, near the Nigerian border where the deadly attack took place on Friday, according to a broadcast on state television on Monday.

It said the minister visited military positions in Bosso accompanied by army chiefs and Nigerian General Lamidi Adeosun, head of the multinational force that groups soldiers from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad to fight Boko Haram.

The minister also toured the town to view to scale of the damage caused by the Islamic insurgents, the television said.

It showed images of a burnt-out military transport vehicle and a town seemingly devoid of its 20 000 residents and Nigerian refugees.

“It's terrible, all of Niger is crying,” said Massoudou, adding that he felt “deeply wounded” after visiting the site of the bloodshed.

The attack “will unfortunately be engraved on the history of our people.”

He urged the troops to keep their “morale high” as “we will win this war.”

Twenty six Nigerien and two Nigerian soldiers were killed in the attack by hundreds of Boko Haram assailants on a military post in Bosso, the government said in a statement on Monday.

The defence ministry earlier said that a total of 32 soldiers had been killed.

About 67 soldiers were injured, according to the updated statement, while 55 Boko Haram fighters were killed and “many” injured.

“On the enemy's side, several dead and injured were taken away,” the ministry said.

Local resident and former MP Elhaj Aboubacar said: “They drove up at twilight, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest), they fired a lot of shots and torched many places in Bosso.”

“We don't know where our military went, but one thing is for sure, Boko Haram were able to do what they liked until dawn,” Aboubacar said.

It was one of the deadliest attacks by Boko Haram in Niger since the Islamist group began launching raids in the country in February 2015 from its stronghold in neighbouring Nigeria.

Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency has devastated infrastructure in Nigeria's impoverished northeast and forced around 2.1 million people in Nigeria to flee their homes, according to the UN's refugee agency.

The unrest has left at least 20 000 people dead in Nigeria and made more than 2.6 million homeless.

Since Friday's attacks, thousands of residents have fled Bosso to “more secure areas”, a UN source said.

Water, food, shelter and medical aid remain “the most urgent needs”, the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Niamey.

It said humanitarian aid missions to Bosso were suspended for security reasons.

The attack comes as the multinational force prepares to launch a “decisive” offensive against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region.

AFP

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Uganda’s Museveni gives wife key ministry

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 01:14 AM PDT

President Yoweri Museveni named a new cabinet that included his wife as the new minister of education and sports.

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Kampala - Uganda's veteran leader Yoweri Museveni named a new cabinet on Monday that retained his prime minister and ministers in the key energy and finance jobs while giving the education portfolio to his wife.

Museveni, 71, who has ruled the east African country for 30 years, was declared winner of the February presidential election with 60 percent of the vote and sworn in for a new term on May 12. Most of his main ministers were reappointed.

His main rival Kizza Besigye rejected the results and called the election a sham, citing widespread rigging, intimidation by security forces and use of state funds to bribe voters.

Tensions have been simmering since the February poll, with Besigye kept under virtual house arrest for several weeks while security clashed with his supporters on multiple occasions.

On May 13, Besigye was charged with treason after a mock ceremony in which his party said he had been sworn in as Uganda's president. He has been in detention since.

In the new line-up, Museveni reappointed his Vice-President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi and Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and maintained Matia Kasaija and Irene Muloni as the important finance and energy ministers respectively.

Museveni's wife Janet Museveni was named as the new minister of education and sports, usually a coveted portfolio in Uganda because it takes one of the largest chunks of the annual budget.

Andrew Karamagi, a human rights lawyer and political commentator told Reuters the new cabinet's selection criteria appeared based on a need to balance varied ethnic and religious interests to maintain a broad base of political support.

Many of the new faces were in smaller ministries or as ministers of state.

“It's less about performance, about delivery, about citizens,” Karamagi said.

Government spokesman Shaban Bantariza rejected the accusation, saying Museveni was certain about his appointees' merits.

Reuters

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Arrest warrant for I Coast’s ex-PM ‘cancelled’

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 01:14 AM PDT

Burkina Faso cancelled an international arrest warrant for Guillaume Soro, who was wanted over his alleged role in a short-lived coup.

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Abidjan - Burkina Faso cancelled an international arrest warrant for Ivory Coast's former prime minister Guillaume Soro on Monday, the latest twist in a saga which has tainted diplomatic relations between the countries for months.

Ouagadougou wanted to bring in Soro, who is currently parliament speaker in neighbouring Ivory Coast, over his alleged role in a short-lived coup in Burkina last year.

But on Monday military prosecutor Commander Alioune Zanre announced that Burkina would be handing over responsibility for the matter to the Ivory Coast.

Zanre said Interpol had refused to assist with the extradition of Soro because the crime was linked to political offences and he may be tried in a military court.

Former Ivorian rebel leader and prime minister Soro was wanted by Burkina after telephone wiretaps allegedly revealed he supported a putsch there last September.

The attempted coup was staged by troops from a presidential guard loyal to former Burkinabe president Blaise Compaore but was thwarted by street protesters and the army, which attacked the plotters' barracks.

At least 11 people were killed and more than 270 were injured in the demonstrations.

Relations between the countries came under pressure when Compaore - a key ally of Ivory Coast president Alassane Ouattara - fled to Abidjan after a popular uprising in 2014 and was given Ivorian nationality.

Burkinabe authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in December 2015 for his alleged role in the mysterious 1987 killing of his comrade, ex-president Thomas Sankara.

They then cancelled but later reinstated the warrant.

AFP

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Two Sudans sign security agreements

Posted: 07 Jun 2016 01:14 AM PDT

South Sudan signed a series of security agreements with Sudan, portending a possible improvement in relations between the two countries.

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Kampala - South Sudan has signed a series of security agreements with its northern neighbour Sudan, portending a possible improvement in relations between the two countries which have a history of acrimony over a number of disputed issues.

The Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC), co-chaired by the defence ministers, held a six-hour meeting in Khartoum on Sunday to discuss the activation of the security arrangements agreed to in September 2012.

Following Sunday’s meeting Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told journalists that JPSC agreed to enforce all the concluded agreements on the buffer zone, flexible borders and to stop supporting rebel groups, reported the Sudan Tribune.

“With regard to the support of rebel groups, specifics will be enforced by the concerned security services of both countries,” said Ghandour.

“The agreements include the re-deployment of joint military forces along the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ), and an approved plan to stop supporting and harbouring rebels as well as opening crossings points,” reported the Sudan Tribune on Monday morning.

“Among the signed documents, the parties agreed to send separate reports to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) which will participate in the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) which brokered the deal.”

They will also demand the African Union send the needed technical teams to implement the deal.

It was also agreed that the border crossing point committee will meet in Juba within the next two weeks to determine the dates and procedures for the opening of the 10 points.

South Sudanese Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and his Sudanese counterpart Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Ouf signed an agreement in October 2015 to operationalise the buffer zone between the two countries.

However, subsequent JPSC meetings to implement the buffer zone were adjourned numerous times due to the security situation in South Sudan.

“The two Sudans have a long acrimonious history of conflict so the fact they are getting together to hold talks is a step in the right direction,” said Pasqualino Okello from Victoria University in Kampala.

“When Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir came to Entebbe in May to attend President Yoweri Museveni’s inauguration he held talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir,” Okello told the African News Agency (ANA).

“There are still a lot of disputed issues between the two countries which need to be resolved and if not could still derail the talks between Khartoum and Juba because they are still not the best of friends but at least there talks are a positive development.”

These disputed issues include Abyei state which is administered by Sudan but also claimed by South Sudan. Abyei was supposed to have a referendum to determine which country it would be part of, but this has been delayed pending discussion of the disputes.

Kafia Kingi falls under South Sudanese sovereignty according to the authoritative 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by both states, and the UN. However, since then it has largely been controlled by Sudanese forces.

Another major dispute between the two Sudans has revolved around oil.

South Sudan ceased producing oil on a complaint that Sudan was “stealing” its oil en route via pipeline to Port Sudan, the only accessible venue for exporting South Sudanese oil beyond Sudan.

Sudan responded saying that the deduction was a “fee” for using the pipeline that was owned by Sudan. Several oil trucks were also briefly held by Sudan but later released saying it was a good faith initiative to lessen tensions.

– African News Agency

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Joburg-bound mule held at Nigerian airport

Posted: 06 Jun 2016 11:34 PM PDT

A South African woman who tried to smuggle 1.2kg of cocaine from Lagos to Joburg was arrested by anti-narcotics officials.

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Lagos - A South African woman who tried to smuggle 1.2kg of cocaine from Lagos to Joburg was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja at the weekend by anti-narcotics officials.

The 34-year-old apprentice chef was picked up by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the process of boarding a Joburg-bound plane.

According to a statement released by the NDLEA on Saturday, the woman allegedly concealed the substance packed in two parcels in her bra.

The NDLEA commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba, said the drug was detected by a female operative of the agency during the screening of passengers.

“The suspect, who gave her name as Lekganyane Lerato, was intercepted during routine screening of passengers on the South African airline. The drug was neatly concealed but certainly not good enough to escape our notice. She is currently under investigation and will be charged in court very soon,” he said.

During preliminary investigations, the suspect said she was lured into drug trafficking by friends.

“I never imagined that the drug would be detected because it was carefully concealed inside my bra.

“My travel expenses were handled by the sponsor, who promised to pay me $3 000 (R44 700) when I got to Johannesburg, but all my dreams have been dashed following my arrest,” Lerato said.

NDLEA chairman Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah expressed optimism that the chances of being caught with drugs in Nigeria were increasing.

According to him, drug traffickers were being apprehended daily.

“Drug trafficking organisations may try their best, but they will end up in prison custody,” he warned.

Independent Foreign Service

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