By Emmanuel Muwamba – Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika on Monday (January 10, 2011) sacked his defence minister with immediate effect and took over his portfolio. A short statement read on the national radio, Malawi Broadcasting Station, said Reckford Thotho was “fired with immediate effect” and Mutharika had assumed the defence portfolio. The letter from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) however did not give reason why the Minister has been fired. OPC has said the defence portfolio has reverted to President Mutharika with immediate effect. In reaction to the sacking Thotho told the press that he is... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – US President Barack Obama has welcomed the good start of a landmark referendum vote on independence in Southern Sudan. Mr Obama said in a statement that “After 50 years of civil wars that have killed two million people and turned millions more into refugees this is the opportunity before the people of Southern Sudan.” He added that the action of Sudanese leaders would help determine whether Sudanese people move “toward peace and prosperity, or slide backward into bloodshed”. The voting started on Sunday and is expected to take a full week to give results on whether... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Montreal -The Canadian government on Thursday rejected an order by Ivory Coast’s embattled leader Laurent Gbagbo to expel the Canadian envoy, saying it would only recognise statements by election victor Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo’s government expelled Britain’s Nicholas James Westcott and Canada’s Marie Isabelle Massip after the two countries said they no longer accepted his ambassadors. Their diplomatic privileges and immunity remain in place until they leave Ivory Coast or until a reasonable amount of time has passed for them to leave, said government spokesperson Ahoua Don Mello. London and Ottawa said late last month they no... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Abidjan – At least one person has and over 130 arrested in Ivory Coast during an early morning raid on the headquarters of a party allied with the internationally recognized winner of last month’s presidential election. The head of the UN’s human rights office in Ivory Coast. According to AP, UN Human Rights Division Director Simon Munzu says he and his staff were barred from entering the building belonging to the party of Henri Konan Bedie on Tuesday hours after the shootout. Witnesses say security forces opened fire with automatic weapons for at least 20 minutes... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Kinshasa – The government of Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday proposed that elections due in November be held in one round to cut costs and any flare in tensions as seen in other African countries. Government spokesperson Lambert Mende told reporters that, “The two-round election like the one we had in 2006 is not in the interest of the Congolese people from an economic, political and security point of view”. Holding the election in one round, which would require a partial revision of the constitution, would halve the costs to around $350m, he said. It... Continue Reading
