By Own Correspondent – The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) at the end of its extra-ordinary session Saturday unanimously adopted a motion calling on the AU to allow the PAP to undertake its own independent election observation missions. According to a decision of the Executive Council of the AU, adopted on 1st February this year in Addis Ababa, PAP is to be part of joint election observation missions with other AU organ under a centralized budget managed by the Department of Political Affairs of the AU Commission. The motion called on the AU to rescind its decision which stopped the PAP from... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – The Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, M.Abdullahi, yesterday told the special crime court presided over by Justice Ikpala that the state may file more charges against six Nigerians and a Gambian accomplice currently facing trial. DDPP M. Abdullahi was responding to a bail application filed on behalf of the accused persons by their defence counsel, Sagarr Jahateh. The accused persons: Joseph Okeke, Nonso Mbosah, Anuwa Ibiam, Arinze Izuchukwu, Pius Patrick, all Nigerians, and Awa Touray, a Gambian, are on trial for alleged multiple offences ranging from conspiracy to commit a felony, abduction, obtaining money by false... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – Members of the Malinke ethnic group rioted in four towns in Guinea, killing one man and leaving Peul-owned stores in ruins as ethnic violence spread from the capital amid stalled presidential elections. Tensions are rising in the African nation with a presidential runoff between two candidates – one Peul, the other Malinke – being delayed. The U.N. said last week some of the violence in the capital appears to be ethnically motivated. At least one person was killed and 62 were hurt last week in the capital. In the northern village of Siguiri, one man was... Continue Reading
By: Augustine N. Myers – A new media Organization, the Liberia Media Empowerment and Advocacy Foundation Incorporated (LIMEAF), has been established in the country and has begun operations. LIMEAF Inc. as a professional Organization is fully cognizant of the many problems and challenges faced by media practitioners in Liberia. LIMEAF Inc. objectively seeks to empower the Liberian Media, especially media practitioners and those interested in becoming professional Journalists, and equally embarks on a major Advocacy Program to foster transformation (positive changes) in the Liberian society. The entity through its empowerment programs will provide capacity building training, as well as the... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – The Court dismissed the second objection raised by the Gambian authorities, defendant in the case of torture filed by a victim, Musa Saidykhan, a former editor-in-chief of the banned Banjul-based The Independent newspaper. On June 30, 2009, the Community Court ruled against Gambian government’s first objection asking the court to dismiss Saidykhan case on grounds that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case and also that Saidykhan had also not exhausted all local remedies. This ruling means that the court will consider in its judgment the clothes that Saidykhan purported to have worn during... Continue Reading
