November 26, 2012 News Round-Up

November 19-26, 2012

AFRICAN INTERNAL RELATIONS

Jeune Afrique: "Soudan: Khartoum bloque le redémarrage du brut sud-soudanais" (November 21, 2012)
The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, said the planned restart of oil production in the country is vital to the economy of the young nation. It is still blocked due to new oil reinstatement requirements imposed by Sudan.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/actu/20121121T082845Z20121121T082844Z/soudan-khartoum-bloque-le-redemarrage-du-brut-sud-soudanais.html

allAfrica News: "Africa: The Elimination of Violence Against Women - 'Time Has Run Out for Complacency or Excuses'" (November 26, 2012)
Sustained by institutional, cultural and structural discrimination, violence against women continues, with Africa particularly badly affected.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201211260518.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns

Reuters: "South Sudan says Sudan poses new obstacle to oil sales" (November 26, 2012)
Sudan has put a new obstacle in the way of allowing its land-locked southern neighbor to pipe its oil to the Red Sea, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said on Monday, dashing plans to revive production after an 11-month break.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/us-southsudan-sudan-oil-idUSBRE8AP0Q520121126

AFRICAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

BBC News: "UK aid 'not improving Nigerian education'" (November 20, 2012)
Millions of pounds of UK government aid to Nigerian schools has failed to produce any major improvement in pupil learning, an independent watchdog says.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20405140

Jeune Afrique: "Hollande: au Mali, pas de discussions avec 'des groupes liés au terrorisme'" (November 20, 2012)
After a meeting with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President François Hollande declared that all "discussion with groups linked to terrorism" in the north of Mali needed to be ended.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/actu/20121120T144124Z20121120T144120Z/hollande-au-mali-pas-de-discussions-avec-des-groupes-lies-au-terrorisme.html

Jeune Afrique: "Darfour: la Minuad a renvoyé ses hélicoptères de combat en Ethiopie" (November 21, 2012)
The joint UN and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has returned its fleet of combat helicopters to Ethiopia a few weeks ago, told AFP a source within the UN.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/actu/20121121T130517Z20121121T130515Z/darfour-la-minuad-a-renvoye-ses-helicopteres-de-combat-en-ethiopie.html

Reuters: "Sudan, China to set up agricultural free-trade zone" (November 25, 2012)
Sudan has allowed China to set up a free-trade zone for agricultural products and livestock to boost bilateral transactions, state news agency SUNA said on Sunday, as the African country seeks to increase farm exports to offset the loss of oil.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/25/us-sudan-china-idUSBRE8AO0AM20121125

Reuters: "French hostage in Mali appeals for help from Paris" (November 26, 2012)
A French citizen taken hostage by Islamist rebels last week in southwest Mali said he blamed France's foreign policy for his abduction and urged Paris to respond to his captors' demands, in a video shown on Monday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/us-mali-hostage-idUSBRE8AP0PB20121126

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

RFI: "Centrafrique : nouvelle attaque d'hommes armés dans la région de Sibut" (November 26, 2012)
Attacks by groups of unidentified gunmen multiply in the Sibut region on the road from Bangui to Chad. The latest attack was perpetrated on Saturday, November 24 against a vehicle carrying the prefect of Ouaka, a central region in the state. The identity of the attackers is not known, but suspicion focused on the Chadian rebellion of Front populaire pour le rassemblement, but also the Central African rebellion of the Convention des patriotes pour la justice et la paix.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121126-centrafrique-nouvelle-attaque-hommes-armes-region-sibut

CÔTE D'IVOIRE

RFI: "Côte d'Ivoire: Alassane Ouattara et Henri Konan Bédié bouches cousues à l'issue de leur tête-à-tête" (November 19, 2012)
In Côte d'Ivoire, a week after the surprise dissolution of the coalition government dominated by RHDP (Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la démocratie et la paix), President Alassane Ouattara met with the former Head of State Henri Konan Bédié, his main ally, to form a new cabinet.
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20121119-cote-ivoire-alassane-ouattara-henri-konan-bedie-bouches-cousues-issue-leur-tete-tete

Jeune Afrique: "Côte d'Ivoire : la composition du gouvernement Duncan dévoilée" (November 21, 2012)
The outgoing foreign minister, Daniel Kablan Duncan, has been appointed by Alassane Ouattarato replace Jeannot Kouadio Ahoussou. Dissolved on November 14, the government announced that it will now include 29 ministers.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121121091401/alassane-ouattara-cote-d-ivoire-dissolution-remaniement-gouvernementalcote-d-ivoire-jeannot-kouadio-ahoussou-sur-le-depart.html

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

BBC News: "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city" (November 20, 2012)
Fighters from the M23 rebel group have captured Goma, the main city in resource-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20405739

BBC News: "DR Congo's M23 rebels threaten to march to Kinshasa" (November 21, 2012)
Rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo have threatened to march on the capital, Kinshasa, after capturing the eastern city of Goma.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20427682

VOA News: "Congo Rebels Refuse to Withdraw From Goma" (November 26, 2012)
Congolese rebel group M23 says it will not give up the captured city of Goma, despite a demand from regional leaders to withdraw.
http://www.voanews.com/content/drc-rebel-leader-heads-to-uganda-for-talks/1553052.html

KENYA

BBC News: "Kenya: Garissa residents shot after army launches crackdown" (November 20, 2012)
At least eight people have been shot and more than 50 wounded in an army crackdown in the north-eastern Kenyan town of Garissa, officials say.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20412594

MADAGASCAR

allAfrica News: "Madagascar: Gov't Must End Mass Killings and Investigate Security Forces" (November 20, 2012)
Madagascar's rampaging security forces must be brought under control in the south of the country, Amnesty International said after widespread state killings of civilians over cattle theft, and a failure to protect hundreds from mass communal murder.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201211201092.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns

MAURITANIA

CNN: "Six weeks after being shot, Mauritania's president returns home" (November 24, 2012)
More than six weeks after being shot, reportedly by his own troops, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz returned home Saturday evening from France, where he'd been receiving medical treatment.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/24/world/africa/mauritania-wounded-president/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

NIGERIA

CNN: "At least 11 killed in suicide attacks on church at Nigerian military base" (November 25, 2012)
Two bombs killed at least 11 people and wounded 30 in a church inside the military barracks in Jaji, Nigeria, on Sunday.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/africa/nigeria-violence/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

BBC News: "Nigeria gunmen attack Abuja Sars police HQ" (November 26, 2012)
Two police officers have been killed when a "large number of gunmen" attacked a Nigerian police base in the capital, Abuja, enabling five suspected robbers to escape, police say.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20493739

SENEGAL

Jeune Afrique: "Sénégal : les barons du régime Wade face à la justice, les dessous d'une affaire d'État" (November 26, 2012)
Seven barons from the Wade regime were summoned by the Court for the suppression of illicit enrichment. Among them, Karim Wade, who is the son of the former president. How far will the hunt for ill-gotten gains go?
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2706p032-036.xml0/senegal-justice-corruption-karim-wadesenegal-les-barons-du-regime-wade-face-a-la-justice-les-dessous-d-une-affaire-d-etat.html

SOUTH AFRICA

allAfrica News: "South Africa: How a Rape Judgment Fails Vulnerable Children All Over South Africa" (November 26, 2012)
A recent Supreme Court of Appeal judgment has undermined the plight of incest victims who keep quiet about their ordeals after being threatened with death or given tokens by their abusive father figures.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201211261257.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns

TUNISIA

Jeune Afrique: "Tunisie : deux salafistes en grève de la faim transférés à l'hôpital de Tunis" (November 21, 2012)
The Tunisian Minister of Justice announced that he transferred to the hospital in Tunis two Islamists who remanded in custody since the attack on the U.S. embassy on September 14. They were on hunger strike.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20121121155815/islamisme-tunis-greve-de-la-faim-salafistetunisie-deux-salafistes-en-greve-de-la-faim-transferes-a-l-hopital-de-tunis.html

UGANDA

BBC News: "Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill: MPs drop death penalty" (November 23, 2012)
A committee of Ugandan MPs has endorsed the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill but dropped the death penalty provision, an MP has told the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20463887

VOA News: "Aid Freeze Impacts Uganda's Health Sector" (November 26, 2012)
Ugandan civil society groups say recent freezes in direct foreign aid because of corruption allegations will devastate social service delivery. The groups have launched a Black Monday campaign to demand immediate corrective action from their government.
http://www.voanews.com/content/foreign-aid-freeze-impacts-ugandas-health-sector/1552996.html