By Own Correspondent – The police have preferred charges against a group of 17 armed men believed to be rebels from the southern Senegalese region of Casamance. They were arraigned on Wednesday before Principal Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court charged with possession of firearms without authority. According to the particulars of offence, Yusupha Ceesay and 16 others sometime in October 2010 at Bulock and Bajana villages in the Western Region were found in possession of an assortment of arms of war and ammunitions without authority. Yusupha Ceesay and Modou Lamin Badjie pleaded guilty to the charge, while... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – MALABO, Equatorial Guinea – The inauguration of the new Annobon airport and trade port yesterday were some of the central events of Equatorial Guinea’s (Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial) Independence Day Celebration. President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo commissioned the construction of the two facilities in an effort to foster economic growth through access to the remote island province. The two robust infrastructure projects were executed by Somagec (a Moroccan company) and fully funded by the government. The Annobon airport is part of a much larger national development plan undertaken by President Obiang’s administration to increase development across the... Continue Reading
By Novell Zwange – GENEVA – Former UN Executive Director of UN-HABITAT Professor Anna Tibaijuka has been elected by The Steering Committee of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), as its new Chair. The Tanzanian-born Professor of Economics and the widow of the former Tanzanian ambassador Wilson Tibaijuka, rose to prominence on the African political landscape in June 2005, when the Secretary General appointed her as his Special Envoy to study the impact of the Zimbabwean Government’s campaign (known as Operation Murambatsvina) to evict informal traders and people deemed to be squatting illegally in certain areas. She brings... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – Wednesday was a busy day for drivers, shopkeepers, food sellers, contractors, among others, within the Tipper Garage in Bakoteh as workers from the Kanifing Municipal Council demolished all structures erected within the area. The demolition exercise, which saw the destruction of almost all buildings such as shops and canteens within the area, was done amid tight security. This reporter, who visited the scene to ascertain the reality on the ground, spoke to some of the affected individuals. Jarga Faal, President of Gambia National Transport Association Tipper Garage Branch, revealed that they received a notice for eviction... Continue Reading
By Nawa Mutumweno – MTN Zambia has invested about $30 million in technology for the company’s network expansion programme this year. The company’s chief executive officer Farhad Khan told a press briefing on September 21, 2010 that in a bid to provide their customers with quality access to international destinations for voice and data, MTN Zambia has also invested a total of $2.5 million for the EASSy Cable project. “We have also invested a further $2.5 million in the local metro fibre cable project in Lusaka which is a local access network that will support high transmission capacity as well... Continue Reading
