Morocco Rescuers search Moroccan lake for UAE leader's brother
Rabat Rescuers searching for a brother of the United Arab Emirates president whose glider crashed in Morocco combed through rugged terrain and swampland on Sunday near the capital Rabat, officials said. Sheikh Ahmed bin Zayed al-Nahayan is managing director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, considered the world's largest sovereign wealth fund with assets estimated at more than 600 billion dollars. The pilot, a Spanish national, survived Friday's crash into an artificial lake in an area where the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah dam is located. Moroccan source close to the probe said the search for Sheikh Ahmed and debris from the glider, also not yet found, was complicated by recent heavy rain that had left water levels high and swamped surrounding areas.
Nigeria: Two Citizens Linked to Al-Qaeda Deported
Abuja — The two Nigerian students-- Abdulsalam Luqman and Abdullahi Bolajoko Uthman, who were arrested by Malaysian authorities in January for alleged connections to al-Qaeda have been deported back to Nigeria on 13th of March, 2010.Accused of being associates of Farouk AbdulMutallab, who is currently standing trial in US for the attempted bombing of s Detroit airline last Christmas.
Uganda army to verify rebel massacre reports in DR Congo: spokesperson
KAMPALA - The Ugandan army said Sunday that it has sent teams in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) to verify reports that the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), killed at least 321 civilians in late 2009. "In our view, that is an exaggerated figure; we are, however, asking our forces, because they were not there, to do verification," Ugandan army spokesman Felix Kulayigye told Xinhua by telephone.
Somalia Landmine Blast Kills High Tfg Official in Mogadishu
Somalia — the district commissioner of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia for Hamar Jajab district in Mogadishu has been killed another officials injured after land mine blast targeted to the officials' vehicle traveling around Afisyone the airport, witnesses told Shabelle radio on Saturday. The transitional government authorities ordered the displaced people around Aden Ade International airport to leave from the areas soon as possible recently and there had been relocating operations continued there. Witnesses confirmed the death of the district commissioner Ahmed Sheik Mohamed Odawa known as (Qorleh) adding that the deputy security secretary of Banadir region was among the government officials assassinated in the landmine explosion. Harakat Al-shabab Mujahideen claimed the responsibility of the blast.
Somalia UN Shows Kenya Links to Both Sides
Nairobi — Kenya serves as "a major base" for Islamist groups battling Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, the United Nations says in a recent report that also details the Kenyan government's training of TFG forces -- in apparent violation of a UN embargo. Kenyan nationals account for about half of all foreigners fighting in Somalia under the banner of the Al Shabaab insurgency force, the report says.Many of these fighters are recruited through a support network in Nairobi consisting of "wealthy clerics-cum-businessmen, linked to a small number of religious centres notorious for their links to radicalism," the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia states in its March 10 report. Leaders of Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam, the other main insurgent group in Somalia, "travel with relative freedom to and from Nairobi, where they raise funds, engage in recruitment and obtain treatment for wounded fighters," the Monitoring Group finds.
Kenya frees American suspected of terrorism links
Nairobi - An American man of Somali origin arrested in Kenya over suspicions of terrorism says police have released him along with two other men. Suleman Essa said Friday that Kenyan police did not tell him why they arrested him on Thursday as he and the two others boarded a plane headed for Somalia. Kenyan police said Thursday that Essa was on a terror watch list. Essa says he does not belong to a terrorist organization. He did not say why he and the others planned to go to Somalia. Essa says Canadian citizen Ahmed Ali Hassan and Kenyan citizen Muhammed Hussein Hash were also released Friday.
Kenya rejects suspected pirates
Mombasa - Kenya has refused to take in three suspected Somali pirates and one body held by an Italian warship, arguing that its prison and court systems were overwhelmed, police said on Friday. It was believed to be the first time that Kenya, one of only two littoral states to have an agreement with Western naval powers for the transfer of suspected pirates, declined to accept suspects.
Niger No more jail for Niger journalists
Niamey - Niger's ruling junta plans to scrap prison sentences for offending journalists, making them only liable to fines, state radio reported on Saturday. La Voix du Sahel said the authorities would stage a three-day mass debate on the press from Monday, grouping legal experts, human rights defenders and representatives of the media and the government.
Niger Greenpeace accuses Areva of neglecting health of Nigeriens
French nuclear group Areva is not paying enough attention to the health of workers and inhabitants around its two uranium mines in Niger, Greenpeace said on Monday. Mauritius French national arrested with drugs in Mauritius A 25-year old French man, Yoan Pierre Vincent Placais, was arrested here with 10,459 subutex tablets, worth 275,000 euros, the Mauritian Police reported on Sunday.
Angola to reinforce fight against human trafficking
Angola is willing to contribute to the fight against human trafficking, the first deputy chairman of the Angolan National Assembly, João Lo u renço said Saturday in Bangkok, Thailand.
Libya Arab summit approves holding of Afro-Arab summit in October
The 22nd summit of the Arab League, which ended on Sunday in Sirte (central Libya), approved during its meetings behind closed doors, the organization of the second summit between Africa and the Arab League in October in Libya.
Libya Carve Nigeria into 'many ethnic states'
Tripoli - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who enraged Abuja after suggesting Nigeria be partitioned between Muslims and Christians, has now proposed the country is carved into "many" ethnic states, a report said on Monday. "In fact, Nigeria's problems cannot be resolved by dividing the country into two states, Christian and Muslim," Gaddafi was quoted as saying by the official Jana news agency. "The model that best fits Nigeria, which comprises many ethnic groups, is Yugoslavia" which was divided into six countries, including Kosovo whose independence has not been unanimously recognized.
DRC No hearing for Nkunda
Kigali - Rwanda's supreme court ruled on Friday it is not competent to hear a plea seeking the release of Laurent Nkunda, a former rebel chief in the Democratic Republic of Congo, held since January 2009."The court ruled it is not competent and sent the case back to a military tribunal," Aime Bokanga, one of Nkunda's lawyers told AFP.The court's argument is based on the military status of General James Kabarebe, Rwanda's chief of defence staff, designated as the person responsible for Nkunda's detention.
DRC UN urges new DRC strategy
London - The head of the UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo called on Monday in a BBC interview for a new strategy to stop massacres by Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).Alan Doss, head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in DRC, said the LRA's practice of working in small, mobile groups meant improved intelligence gathering and air mobility were needed.
Sudan JEM 'not serious' about peace
Khartoum - Sudan's chief peace negotiator said on Sunday that a main Darfur rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement, was "not serious" about reaching a final settlement with the government. "But JEM is not serious about reaching a peace agreement," he said, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire and failing to free prisoners despite a pledge to do so.
Sudan Rebels shoot down choppers
Khartoum - Darfur rebels said on Sunday they had shot down two Sudanese army helicopters in the latest reports of fighting that have marred faltering peace talks between Khartoum and other insurgents. Sudan's army said two of its helicopters crashed after developing technical problems, but denied there was any attack.
Somali pirates demand $3m for Libyan vessel
Somali pirates who captured a North Korean-flagged Libyan cargo ship have demanded a $3m (Dh11m) ransom and threatened to kill its crew, maritime officials said yesterday. The vessel, owned by Libya's White Sea Shipping, was attacked in the Gulf of Aden, south of the Yemeni coast, in February.
Somalia pirates take Spanish ship
Mogadishu - Somali pirates said on Sunday they had captured a Spanish fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean. A pirate who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters by phone: "My men have hijacked a Spanish fishing vessel from the Indian Ocean. They are on board and safe."
Somalia 'Pirates' attack warship
The Hague - Dutch marines on Sunday disarmed 12 suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia who had mistakenly attacked their warship thinking it was a merchant vessel, the Dutch defence ministry said.
Somalia 100s of Somali families evicted
Mogadishu - Witnesses say hundreds of poor Somali families are being forcibly evicted from their homes near the airport.
Somalia Clashes over home demolitions kill 3
Mogadishu - A Somali government official says three people have been killed and four injured in clashes Saturday between government soldiers and armed protesters opposing the demolition of their houses near Mogadishu's main airport.
Mozambique battles land mines
Maputo - Fifteen people were killed by land mines and four were seriously injured in Mozambique in 2009, the national director of the national demining agency, Julio Braga, said on Sunday.
Togo outlaws protests against elections results
LOME - Togo's government outlawed on Friday further demonstrations against the results of a March 4 presidential election, which opposition leaders say was rigged to favor the incumbent.
Togo government and opposition sign truce
LOME, Togo (AP) - A security official says that Togo's government and the opposition coalition have signed a temporary truce committing both sides to peace, law and order following opposition protests against presidential election results.
Ethiopia cracks down on biggest ethnic group: party
ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopia's most populous ethnic group is being targeted in a government crackdown ahead of the country's first national election since a disputed 2005 poll, an opposition party said on Friday.
Egypt's security use force to disperse activists
CAIRO - Egyptian state security prevented activists from holding a symbolic "trial" of Egypt's ruling party on Thursday, using force to disperse those who tried to resist, activists said.
Senegal's PM, chief negotiator air different views on Casamance issue
DAKAR, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A dispute broke out in Senegal between Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye and a close associate of President Abdoulaye Wade on peace negotiations with the rebel Movement of Democratic Forces in Casamance (MFDC), local press reported on Sunday. the Senegalese prime minister reacted to a statement published on Thursday by a MFDC leader Cesar Atoute Badiate asking for "sincere and all inclusive negotiations" with the government. The PM also denied Farba Senghor, who claimed himself "chief negotiator" with the rebel movement, as in an official position for saying negotiations were already underway.
Yemen captures two Europeans training to use arms
SANAA - Yemeni security forces have arrested two European nationals while they were training to use rifles in a remote high mountain to the south of the capital Sanaa, the Defense Ministry reported on Sunday. The pair, both nearly at the age of 24 with one of them carrying an Arab name, were detained in Naqil al-Mashanna area of the Jahran district in the southern province of Dhamar, said the ministry on its website.The report cited a statement by the Interior Ministry's information center as saying that "the two Europeans were found training with two machine-guns and two pistols." Meanwhile, security apparatuses in the southeastern province of al-Mahra, bordering the oil-rich Gulf country of Oman, have arrested nine people with a considerable quantity of arms in their possession, said the report. The Yemeni forces seize four machine-guns, three pistols, sniper rifles and two satellite cellular phones that were in the possession of the suspects, aging between 17-45 years, the report noted.
Female suicide bombers set twin explosions in Moscow subway
MOSCOW - Two explosions in Moscow subway system during Monday morning rush hour, killing at least 35 people and injuring 40 others, were caused by female suicide bombers, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed.