Chad/Sudan: Tense at the border as Sudan is accused of invassion by Chad!

BBC has reported that the Chadian ambassador to Ethiopia has complained that “Sudan was to blame for repeated aggression in his country since 2004. Maitine Djoumbe said the African Union should have the courage to condemn this and called for immediate intervention.”

The Chadians have accused Sudan for invading the country. The Sudanese and the Chadians have the same ethnic group in Darfur area and eastern Chad. The Sudanese government has been accused for giving support to the Janjaweed on horsebacks that terrorise the Darfurians. 

A janjaweed rider.

It is reportd that, “The Chadian government has declared a state of emergency in the south-east where escalating violence has forced some 70,000 villagers from their homes.”

Thousands of people are fleeing the area in the eastern Chad because of the fighting and humanitarian organizations in the region are warning that many people will suffer from starvation and lack of water during escape to safer areas.

 According to BBC ,reports have come in that confirm that, “Earlier this week, the United Nations warned that violence in the area was spiralling out of control. The agency said that at least 20 villages had been attacked by men who appeared to be ethnically Arab, in incidents that mirrored what had been occurring just across the border in Sudan’s Darfur region.”

The international community has been called upon to take stern action against Sudanese government in order to achieve peace in the area. The Sudanese President seems to be adamant and chooses not to listen to the interantional community.

The UN and African Union should now force results in the region by active intervention on the ground.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC/

Zambia: Former Zambian President unwell to face corruption charges!

A Zambian court has ruled that the former president Frederick Chiluba is not well to face corruption charges brought against him.

Chiluba during the height of his rule.

“A medical examination was ordered after his personal doctor told the court that Mr Chiluba needed a heart transplant. The state has been ordered to release Mr Chiluba’s passport immediately so he can seek treatment in South Africa,” BBC reports 

Two businessmen and the former leader are facing corruption charges. They are to answer charges on alleged disappearance of $488,000 from government funds during his leadership. The former leader took over the presidency democratically in 1991 and ruled the country for 10 years. When the judge made the ruling the former leader was not in court It is reported that the, “trial has been stalled for almost nine months after the former president fell ill.”

When Mr Chiluba travels abroad for treatment, he will still face charges when he gets better. However, it is not known if he will decide to remain in South Africa and ask for asylum after he gets the required treatment. The case against the other two may continue if the court chooses to proceed, while the former leader goes abroad to undergo heart treatment.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC/AP

Kenya: GG Kariuki of Narc-K dismisses ODM-K leaders calling them self-seekers!

 Mr GG Kariuki of Narc-K has urged the Kenyan electorate to give Kibaki the second term as president in the next general elections.

He dismissed ODM-K leaders saying they are self-seekers without credentials to assume the presidency.

The Laikipia MP said Kibaki had “ignored ODM-K leaders because they were not in his league. He said Kibaki remains the best candidate for the Presidency and urged the electorate to give him a second term.”

Transport Assistant minister Mr Njeru Githae has been reported to have hailed the police for their actions in dispersing those who thronged the Kamukunji grounds Sunday claiming they were going to attend a prayer meeting. The assistant minister told the press that the meeting was going to be a political one and not a prayer as ODM- K leaders had said.

Githae urged Nyeri residents to stop competing against those of Murang’a and Kiambu districts. Instead they should vote as a block in the coming elections.

Kariuki was a powerful minister in Moi’s government during the time Kibaki was the vice president. When Kibaki took over, he has not considered Kariuki for any post in his government.

When Kariuki was minister of state in the office of the President, Kibaki, then VP could not get through to Moi  easily unless Kariuki together the other then powerful minister of state, the “Total Man” Mr Biwott, who was in the same office with GG gave  a go-ahead for Kibaki to see Moi, and yet he two (Kariuki and Biwott) were junior to Kibaki.

Kibaki cannot forget such days when the two men humiliated him, especially when he is now the one to decide who he can call upon to serve him at his pleasure.

Kariuki knows what he is doing when he calls on the electorate to give President Kibaki another term in office. He could simply  be sending a signal to the president that he is a loyal man and asking for consideration for a ministerial position.

The President, when appointing ministers and assistant ministers recently, left vacant the ministry of Lands. If he is not thinking to return Kimunya to Lands then he might be considering the Lakipia MP for the post. Let us not forget that GG has earlier headed the Lands ministry during KANU days.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source: The Standard/ke/20/11

Uganda/Denmark: A Danish artist insults the dignity of the Ugandan people!

Lose your name, adopt mine “Hornsleth” and get a pig or a goat as a gift, a Danish artist is reported to have asked the people of Uganda!

A Danish artist Kristian Von Hornsleth has angered a Ugandan minister who has accused him of being racist for asking Ugandan villagers to adopt his name in order to be given a “goat or a pig.

“The criticism comes as an exhibition of Kristian Von Hornsleth’s photos from the village of Buteyongera opens in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.” 

But according to BBC, “Hornsleth, however, says he is trying to help the villagers by highlighting the failure of international aid. The exhibition is called: “We want to help you, but we want to own you.” 

To further his argument explaining why he has done what he did, he told BBC that, ”After 50 years of Third World aid, Africa is still poor.” 

But the Ugandan Ethics minister Nsaba Buturo is not amused, reacting that the idea was “demeaning” and “racist.”

Complaining further she told BBC that the Danish man, “is playing on the plight of some of our people by telling them a lie – by giving them a piglet, they will come out of the poverty he says they are in.”

It is however, reported that the Danish is not about to stop his activity of exchanging a pig or a goat with anyone in the Ugandan village who accepts to change their Ugandan name and have the Danes name. He has told BBC, “that 100 villagers already have identity documents with their new name and a further 207 are having them processed. He said his proposal to the villagers was an example of free trade, which left the villagers better off.”

Hornsleth has told BBC that the villagers back his campaign. This is the new type of ID card being issued with the Danish man’s name “Hornsleth.”

He has stated that his aim is to have the village name eventually changed as well.

This is an insult to the people of Uganda. The thinking of the Danish man does not make sense at all. By asking the whole village to adopt his name in exchange for a pig or a goat is an abuse.

Now that he says he wants the village to change the name also from what it is now called is a search for glorification.

Imagine if an African asked a Danish village to change the name to an African one. The Danes would feel insulted.

The Black people in America taken as slaves were forced to change their names adopting that of their master. This thinking of the Dane in question is very cruel, a reminder of the slaves who suffered being under-fed, forced to serve their masters and loosing their rightfull name. It is unbelieveable that such a thing can happen in the 21st century. All the villagers with the same name because of one pig?

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC

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