Central African Republic: Another Somalia Brewing on the African Continent

To passionate Africans or any keen observer whatsoever, the question of why always Africa will be an hourly one going by all sort of obnoxious events and queasy news coming out of the continent in consequential fashions. Africa has the African Union which at best is saddled with the responsibility of making the continent a safe haven for all. This body is somehow always showing greater signs of ineptitude during crises. Dangerous situations that usually should have been tackled from the root and headlong before they degenerate into cataclysmic events are mostly left to fester on till they almost and most times become insurmountable.

Central African Republic began gradually and the AU was almost nowhere to be found except when it suspended the country which has now become its tradition. Recently in Central African Republic, Red Cross medical workers' lives were endangered with the villagers bolting in panic upon sighting rebels brandishing machetes and AK47 assault rifles who came out from the bush like traditional masquerades. The landlocked former French colony is one of the poorest places on earth and has been plunged into chaos since the Seleka rebels seized power from President Francois Bozize about four months ago, triggering a humanitarian crisis. Just like Rwanda with no oil, it is ignored by the West.

The African Union decided to boost a small regional peacekeeping mission (CEMAC) into a 3,600-strong force in the third week of July after the country had long been degenerating. The decision came after Seleka gunmen killed 15 people in Bangui on July 13 when their truck was found to contain T-shirts supporting Bozize. The bodies of seven victims were found floating in the Ubangi river.

Since independence from France in 1960, Central African Republic like most African countries has been trapped in a cycle of coup after coup. France's military has intervened in the country than anywhere else in Africa, supporting successive military strongmen including self-proclaimed Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa from 1966 to 1979. Though France hid under the guise of President Francois Hollande's keenness to end France's meddling in its former colonies, hence, French soldiers did not act to stop Seleka toppling Bozize but CAR just like in cases where no oil or uranium or any other vital resources exist, has nothing to offer France unlike Mali and Niger. The only interest France has is to secure Bangui airport. It will serve the purpose of express evacuation if need be.

With the country outside the capital Bangui in the grip of rebel warlords, many aid groups and UN agencies have pulled out, leaving its 4.5 million inhabitants to fend for themselves. Rebel Colonel Issene Yaya, who confronted the Red Cross workers in the remote northern village of Ouata-Nata, had come to collect protection money from local chiefs and to lay down the law. Yaya was furious the Red Cross had not recently visited Ouandago, 10 km (6 miles) from Ouata-Nana, where the rebels had made their base according to Reuters.

"You, Red Cross people...I could make you pay a dear price at the end of my gun barrel for your behaviour," Yaya told the aid workers in the local language Sango. Behind him, his camouflage-clad fighters, wearing protective magical charms, chatted in Arabic, the tongue of neighbouring Sudan and eastern Chad. After delivering an ultimatum to Ouata-Nana's mayor for four local chiefs to bring 800,000 CFA francs ($1,600) to them the next day, the rebels disappeared, leaving the village deserted.

Central African Republic has porous borders which give Arabic-speaking marauding raiders, poachers and soldiers of fortune from neighbouring Chad and Sudan to prey on the countryside over the years. Seleka means 'alliance' in Sango and it is a coalition of five rebel groups. It launched its uprising after Bozize failed to honour the terms of a previous power sharing deal. Many northerners resented Bozize, who seized power in a 2003 coup, for surrounding himself with his own Gbaya tribesmen.

"What sin, what wickedness did we do for God to reserve this fate for us?" asked Marie Loana, a 72-year-old woman outside her hut in Ouata-Nana, empty after her family fled into the bush. After the March 24 rebel takeover, Seleka's leader Michel Djotodia was named interim president of Central African Republic in a deal brokered by regional powers intended to lead to elections in 18 months. But he has failed to prevent his troops, many of whom are Muslims from Chad and Sudan, from committing atrocities against the Christian population.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) says rebels have killed at least 400 people and carried out dozens of rapes since seizing power. It qualifies this as war crimes. With health services across the country close to collapse, medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has accused the international community of turning its back on the country. The fighting has displaced 206,000 people inside Central African Republic and pushed 55,000 refugees across its borders.

"We have to appeal to the conscience of the world to help these people living in some of the worst conditions on earth," EU Commissioner for international cooperation Kristalina Georgieva said during a visit this month to the country. "Unless the state returns, this risks turning into a new Somalia, where local warlords control the country," Reuters report. "All seven bodies showed signs of torture. Some of the men had their genitals cut off, their eyes gouged out ... It was really an atrocity," said Joselin Likomba, a Red Cross worker. Security has improved somewhat inside the chaotic capital this month, following months of looting and killings, after Seleka fighters were ordered off the streets unless patrolling jointly with the CEMAC regional force.

"Seleka fighters are committing crimes with total impunity," FIDH said in a report, estimating the group's ranks had swollen from 5,000 at the time of the coup to some 20,000 fighters. "In the provinces, where Seleka holds power and the state does not exist, there is no justice." The European Union, the country's largest humanitarian donor, has so far pledged 20 million euros ($26.5 million) to stabilize the country, hoping this will bring aid groups back. "The very presence of humanitarian organizations can be a deterrent to looting, killings and rape," said Georgieva, who held long talks with Djotodia in Bangui. "It is not clear he understands how to get a grip on security in his country."

The humanitarian situation may be about to worsen as terrified villagers flee deep into the forests, scavenging for food, meaning they are missing the planting season. Malnutrition rates, already double those of last year, are poised to leap. In Ouata-Nana, only one of the village chiefs appeared to pay Yaya 50,000 CFA. Two others fled to Chad while the fourth headed south with his family to Bangui. "They will kill us if we don't pay," said one of the chiefs, Paul Idamba. "Our life here is torture. It is hell."

After Snowden; Americans worry less about Terrorism, more about being Caged

For the first time in almost a decade, the majority of Americans are more concerned about the government infringing on their civil liberties than about a potential terrorist attack, according to a new poll by Pew Research.

US citizens have traditionally responded to similar polls by saying the government has not yet gone far enough to protect the country from threats. But new results from Pew Research Center reveal that public opinion has drastically shifted - especially in the wake of NSA spying programmes leaked by Edward Snowden nearly two months ago.

Pew reported that “a majority of Americans – 56 per cent – say that federal courts fail to provide adequate limits on telephone and internet data [which] the government is collecting as part of its anti-terrorism efforts.” An even larger percentage – 70 per cent – believes the government uses the data for “purposes other than investigating terrorism.” Another 63 per cent believe “the government is also gathering information about the content of communications.”

“Overall, 47 per cent say their greater concern about government anti-terrorism policies is that they have gone too far in restricting the average person’s civil liberties, while 35 per cent say they are more concerned that the policies have not gone far enough to protect the country,” the authors of the poll wrote. “This is the first time in Pew research polling that more have expressed concern over civil liberties than protection from terrorism since the question was first asked in 2004.”

Prior to Snowden’s disclosures, a 2010 Pew poll found that 58 per cent of Americans felt the government had “not gone far enough to protect the country,” although the NSA surveillance was already underway at that time without the public’s knowledge.

The sea change was reflected in Congress last week when a bill to cut funding to the NSA surveillance programme failed to pass by a mere seven votes. Both Democrats and Republicans skirted US President Barack Obama and top leaders of both parties, in an attempt to use legislation as an oversight to the burgeoning intelligence gathering.

Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican and an author of the original Patriot Act of 2001 which authorized the spying, has publicly advocated repealing the law. He was among those in Congress who voted for an amendment to defund NSA programmes.

“The time has come to stop it, and the way we stop it is to approve this amendment,” he said, adding days later that he had not planned on speaking. “I was able to say what needed to be said in a minute.”

While even lawmakers who are in favour of the NSA’s indiscriminate and warrantless surveillance might recognize that more oversight is inevitable, Glenn Greenwald of the Guardian has suggested that top Democrats and Republicans benefit financially from the unpopular laws.

“But with a few rare and noble exceptions, the Intelligence Committees in both house of Congress are filled with precisely those members who are most slavishly beholden to, completely captured by, the intelligence community over which they supposedly serve as watchdogs,” Greenwald wrote in a column on Monday.

“Many receive large sums of money from the defense and intelligence industries…in particular, the two chairs of those committees – Democrat Dianne Feinstein in the Senate and Republican Mike Rogers in the House – are such absolute loyalists to the NSA and the national security state generally that it is usually impossible to distinguish their behavior, mindset and comments from those of NSA officials.”

RT

Pressure from US and EU, On the Road to Genuine Peace or Enclosing Iran?: Israel to Release 104 Palestinian Prisoners

With the activities of Hezbollah in the ongoing war in Syria, Israel has continued to feel uncomfortable and did not bother to hide it. Israel, according to Middle East experts, is looking for ways to obliterate Hezbollah from its list of potential threats because it seems the only better armed 'liberation movement' in the Arab World.

The Syrian war would have been the best bet for Israel but the complexity of the war on a daily basis is giving it a kind of restraint. At a point, Iran which Israel knows is backing Hezbollah stated that it will send 4,000 soldiers to Syria; sending a strong message to Tel Aviv that Syria is a real chess board where every player plays its part and outcome not to be determined by one state or a group of states opposed to the regime.

The latest twist to making Iran and Hezbollah irrelevant and remove their certificate of relevance in the scheme of things is the new John Kerry-brokered resuscitation of direct negotiation and peace talks between Israel and Palestine. The currency both Iran and Hezbollah spend in the Middle East as vital players largely comes from the unending support for Palestinians. If this currency is removed, then Iran and Hezbollah can be faced squarely, almost leaving no room for solidarity for them.

Israeli cabinet approved the release of 104 Palestinians; a move sponsored by Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of expected resumption of peace talks with the Palestine Authority. Many of the Palestinians to be freed have spent over 20 years behind bars. Thirteen ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet have authorized the release of the detainees, with seven voting against and two abstentions, a government official revealed.

Netanyahu addressed his Facebook followers on Saturday, urging support for his plan to release Palestinians serving long prison terms gradually, including those sentenced for attacking and killing Israelis. “An open letter to the citizens of Israel” was also said to have been published on the Prime Minister’s website.

“From time to time prime ministers are called on to make decisions that go against public opinion; when the matter is important for the country,” Netanyahu wrote, stressing that the decision he made “is painful for the bereaved families, it is painful for the entire nation, and it is also very painful for me.” "This conclusion will be possible only on condition that the security of Israeli citizens and our vital national interests will be ensured," Netanyahu promised.

No identities of Palestinian prisoners that might be included in the amnesty have been made public. Netanyahu had secured support on the issue from 10 ministers of his cabinet ahead of the vote, Haaretz reported. The release of prisoners is interlinked with the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations which are to start in Washington on Tuesday. “The goal here is to augment the political dialogue with confidence-building measures,” an unidentified Israeli official told the New York Times.

“This is the biggest achievement we will have had this year,” an anonymous Palestinian official involved in negotiations told the NYT. Netanyahu will have to use all of the persuasion he’s got to make Israelis believe that what he’s doing is right and serves the common cause. Families of Israelis killed by Palestinians over the last 30 years are not likely to take it lightly. In their turn, Palestinians consider their compatriots convicted before the 1993, when the Oslo Peace Accords were signed, as political prisoners that should have been released long time ago.

Israel’s dramatic shift comes quite unexpectedly, with experts wondering if this the final effect of pressure from Brussels and Washington which has been mounting to push Israel towards negotiation table. EU is against the continuous establishment of settlements in occupied lands. The Israeli-Palestinian talks have been organized by the US and Secretary of State John Kerry has put great effort into make it happen. For Kerry, in office for six months now, a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations reflects on his performance.

"There is no alternative. It is also difficult for me," Netanyahu told one of the ministers, according to Haaretz. "We must renew the peace process.” Israel is used to freeing Palestinians from prisons only in exchange for kidnapped soldiers or the return of their bodies. The last great exchange took place in October 2011 during PM Netanyahu’s previous term, when 1,027 Palestinians were exchanged for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive in Gaza for five years.

China Beware!!! Japan is Considering Activating Pre-emptive Strike Capability

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government seems to be considering a fundamental change in Japan’s military defence doctrine; a pre-emptive strike strategy against potential aggressors. This is coming days after a Chinese fighter jet wandered into international airspace to Japanese territory. Chinese government later claimed it was on a training mission.

China has been a nuclear power for decades, possessing a fully-fledged nuclear triad, while nearby North Korea has been demonstrating nuclear ambitions since at least 2007 but Tokyo maintains it has no intentions of becoming a nuclear power despite the fact that its major potential adversary, Beijing is.

Abe's government is revising its defence policies while the final conclusions on the matter will be made by the end of 2013 according to reports. The study explores the ways to "strengthen the ability to deter and respond to ballistic missiles". However, the report prepared by Japan’s Defence Ministry reportedly does not mention by what measures would be taken against foreign military bases in the case of an imminent threat.

"The acquisition of offensive capability would be a fundamental change in our defence policy, a kind of philosophical change," a professor at the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies, Marushige Michishita, told Reuters. The scholar stressed though that such an undertaking would be expensive and time-consuming, because "it's easier said than done."

Experts say that to get the pre-emptive strike ability may require Japan to develop intercontinental and cruise missiles along with a more powerful Air Force. "It would cost lots of money, and take time, training and education to acquire a robust and meaningful capability," Michishita concluded.

China with its world's largest army has been dramatically modernizing its military forces over the last decade. Japan has territorial disputes over the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in Chinese tradition) with China, meaning that Washington's and Tokyo's interests coincide. Pyongyang is also dangerous as an old adversary of Washington, rivaling American dominance in the Pacific. Recently North Korea ranted against Seoul and Washington to the extent that the world felt a bit of the heat of the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

North Korea that strives to achieve a nuclear power status, has been openly threatening Tokyo with destroying US military bases on Japanese territory. To deal specifically with territorial disputes at remote islands, Japan reportedly plans to establish a Marines task force. Purchase of unmanned surveillance drones is also planned to monitor the country’s maritime borders. Japan is really trying to get ready for any contingency.

Japan wants to move a bit away from the pacifist constitution imposed on Tokyo by the American occupation administration over half a century ago. The last time Tokyo updated its National Defence Programme Guidelines was in 2010, with the Democratic Party being in power. The US-drafted Article 9 of the Japanese constitution prohibits the very possibility for Japan to wage war and have its own modern army. Despite that, today Japan boasts one of the best armies in Asia.

Japanese servicemen have vast real warfare experience, having taken part in all of the conflicts started by the US in the past two decades. Japanese peacekeepers are also actively participating in the UN missions in Africa and Asia.

To take part in international projects, Japan has already had to ease its self-imposed ban on weapons exports. Now the leaders of Japanese military industrial complex, giants like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, await clear guidelines for the promotion of their military business overseas.

Because Japan has been stretching the limits of Article 9 for decades, some say the change is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. And since there have been no negative remarks on Japan's military development coming from Washington, it could mean that Abe's team is transforming nation's military in a direction not incompatible with the US. The potential threats Japan might face at the moment come from the Asian continent.

Record in the United States: 80% of Americans have Lost Faith in Congress

Record-breaking numbers of Americans have lost support for Congress, according to a survey. Eighty-three per cent of respondents said they disapprove of the job its doing, while 57 per cent said they would replace every member of Congress if they could.

The poll (link to poll), conducted jointly by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, has illustrated new heights of vehement public distaste for the actions of the US government.

“There is a palpable unhappiness with Washington,” Republican pollster Peter D. Hart said upon learning the poll’s results. His Democratic counterpart concurred that “now is the summer of our discontent.”

At the same time, President Barack Obama has seen his approval rating slump to 45 per cent – down from 48 per cent last month. This marks his lowest rating since August 2011, when nearly every US politician suffered a blow on account of the debt-ceiling crisis, when Obama became embroiled in a heated debate with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other Republicans in Congress.

The reasons cited for the lack of support for Congress included the government ignoring the middle-class, gridlock, the inability for lawmakers to produce any tangible results, and President Obama’s policies and leadership in general.

However, these reasons invariably fall into different camps, with Republicans and Democrats citing different primary reasons. Democrats and independents are irritated with congressional gridlock and governmental inactivity, while Republicans are anti-Obama.

The poll used a cross section of 1,000 adults – including 300 cell phone only respondents – and was conducted between July 17-21.

Similar polls surrounding Obama’s popularity, conducted in recent weeks, seem to corroborate the results. A Gallup report released Monday revealed that Obama averaged a 47.9 per cent approval rating over the course of the past three months. A McClatchy-Marist national survey placed Obama's overall approval rating closer to 41 per cent.

RT

House says No more Immunity for the President on Criminal Charges; Endorses Independent Candidates

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed 85 new clauses to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), among which was the rejection of immunity for the President and state governors facing criminal charges.

By the new provision on immunity, the President, Vice-President, governors and their deputies will vacate office, if convicted of any criminal offense. A total of 339 out of the 360 members of the House voted on Wednesday to pass the clauses.

Voting and collation of results was done manually and it ended at about 10.43pm. On immunity, 306 members voted to remove it, 17 opposed it, while 14 abstained. The House retained four years as the tenure of office of elected officials.

Similarly, 293 lawmakers voted to endorse autonomy for local governments, as against 39 who opposed it. Seven others abstained. This development meant that the House took a different position on the issue, compared to the Senate, which rejected autonomy for the councils.

Lawmakers also scrapped State Independent Electoral Commissions and transferred the responsibility of conducting council polls to the Independent National Electoral Commission. Independent candidacy was also endorsed by the House, meaning that in future, persons who do not belong to any political party, can stand for elections as individuals.

A total of 313 lawmakers endorsed the provision, while eight opposed it. Twelve others abstained. Like the Senate, the House retained the controversial proposal on life pension for the President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker.

A total of 284 lawmakers endorsed the provision, with only 18 opposing it. Thirty-six others abstained. Other highlights included the transfer of health, housing, electricity and railways from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.

Al Qaeda is Expanding and France is its most Significant Foe

Al-Qaeda’s resilience, ideological strength and expansion in the midst of escalating sectarian struggle has increased the threat it poses - and it will take decades to win the ideological struggle against it, according to a new report.

“There has been a net expansion in the number and geographic scope of al-Qaeda affiliates and allies over the past decade, indicating that al-Qaeda and its brand are far from defeated,” said author of the study and RAND corporation analyst, Seth Jones.

Jones noted that what was once a highly organized group with a strong base in Afghanistan has now reaped affiliates, allied groups, and inspired networks of groups harboring a “hatred of the West” and its allied regimes across the Middle  East.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspected ringleader of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, was given as an example of an “inspired” individual who was not a member of al-Qaeda.

The core group itself has seen a general ascendance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), for which a number of possible reasons were given. Four separate subsectors or groups of the militant block were identified: Central al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda allies, al-Qaeda affiliates, and al-Qaeda ideological sympathizers.

The Arab uprisings, which have “weakened regimes” in the region, were given as a primary cause for al-Qaeda’s spread. According to the report, the uprisings created an “opportunity” for al-Qaeda affiliates and allies to consolidate a footing in the regions.

Increasing sectarian struggles in the same areas means that resources available to Sunni Islamic militant groups have also grown, allowing weaponry to spread and be more accessible to militants. Meanwhile, the movement has become “more diffuse and decentralized” as a result of the expansion, Jones stated in a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.

Al-Qaeda members “largely run their operations autonomously, though they still communicate with core leadership in Pakistan and may seek strategic advice.”

Because of this diffusion and lack of solid organizational structure to the militant movement, the study found that despite an increasing availability of weapons, the group as a unit is becoming less of a threat to the US. However, ideologically, it is still growing stronger.

“The growth in social media and the terrorist use of chat rooms, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other sites has facilitated radicalization inside the United States,” the study says, outlining how the increased dissemination of ‘propaganda’ information and instructions on how to create bombs has played a key role.

Despite being less of a threat to the US on its home territory, affiliates and allies of the group continue to threaten US and foreign outposts overseas, such as those in Tunisia in 2012.

“Jabhat al-Nusrah’s access to foreign fighters, external network in Europe and other areas, and bomb-making expertise suggest that it may already have the capability to plan and support attacks against the West,” wrote Jones, adding that there seems to be a “growing contingent of foreign fighters – perhaps several thousand – traveling to Syria to fight in the war.”

Most pressing Al-Qaeda threats

Although posing a certain ideological threat to the US, it materialized that the most pressing concerns of the group were considerably more localized than any international ‘end-game,’ the report claimed.

“Most Al-Qaeda leaders are not interested in establishing a global caliphate and do not seek to overthrow regimes in much of the world,” Jones wrote, adding that “they tend to have rather more parochial goals,” focusing predominantly on countries or regions rather than a global jihad.

The study found that their primary international target was, surprisingly, France. “France, rather than the United States, is the most significant foreign enemy,” the report stated.

For al-Qaeda’s current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, both a “near enemy” and a “far enemy” are identifiable.  For him, “the primary goal is broader: to overthrow regimes in key Muslim countries,” while attacking far-off countries is seen as a means to an end rather than an end in its own right.

However, the document goes on to advise the US on how to counter any direct threats. It encourages the country to implement a “light footprint strategy that focuses on covert intelligence, law enforcement, and Special Operations Forces,” adding that the US should withdraw Afghan forces and instead focus on conducting low-intensity operations in the area as they do in Colombia.

A double-pronged approach would be most effective, combining the ground strategy with an undermining of al-Qaeda’s ideology, the report said, adding that today the US plays no lead role in attempting to do so.

“The struggle against the al-Qaeda movement will be long – measured in decades, not months or years. Much like the Cold War, it is also predominantly an ideological struggle,” Jones concluded.

Russia Today

Kenyan Police Discover Explosives on Transit to the Coastal Region

Kenya continues to battle and tackle insecurity in the land. The rising cases of criminal activities spurred President Uhuru Kenyatta into changing as well as redeploying some of the topnotch in the security apparatus.

Since October 2011, when Kenya's troops went into neighbouring Somalia in pursuit of al Qaeda-linked insurgents blamed for kidnapping security personnel and Western tourists from its territory, it continues to suffer grenade and gun attacks. These attacks are complicated by camps housing the refugees from Somalia according to Kenyan authorities.

Kenyan police discovered a large quantity of explosives packed in boxes on a bus in the capital Nairobi. A senior officer said the explosives were being transported to the coastal region. It was not clear who was behind the consignment of 403 rolls of ammonium nitrate.

The East Africa's biggest economy has been plagued with nightmare over attacks which continue to scare off tourists and investors. Kenya, being on the Indian Ocean coast and bordering Somalia, is vulnerable to the pirates and militants activities.

Patrick Oduma, the officer in charge of police in Nairobi's central business district, said the bus's driver has been arrested and was being questioned over the explosives, which were originally offloaded from a bus that had arrived from neighbouring Tanzania. "The parcel of cartons disguised as books were destined to be transported to Voi," Oduma told Reuters, referring to a town 142 km (92 miles) inland from the port city of Mombasa.

"The explosives, which are rolls of ammonium nitrate, can be used to bring down buildings," he said. Oduma declined to speculate on what the explosives might have been intended for. He said they had been handed to bomb experts and the Kenya Anti Terrorism Police.

Election in Mali: On the Road to Peace or a Pathway to Crises?

President Dioncounda Traore, Mali's interim leader has met with members of two northern Tuareg separatist groups apparently for the first time in a build-up for peace to secure the elections scheduled to be held on Sunday. This move provoked anger among many in the country's south due to the rising ethnic tensions.

The aim of the election is to unify the nation after a March 2012 coup allowed Tuareg rebels and their al Qaeda-linked Islamist allies to seize the West African nation's desert north. France intervened earlier in the year, displacing the militants who have continued with brittle sporadic attacks.

The Tuareg rebels last month agreed to take their fighters off the streets in exchange for a promise of negotiations with the new government after the elections. This allowed the Malian army gained entrance into their controlled-territory. The rebels after the French-led intervention had simmered down captured some of the Islamists who outsmarted them in a 10-month long attacks.

Representatives of the MNLA and its ally, the High Council for the Unity of Azawad, was to meet with military officials to review progress in implementing the preliminary peace deal signed in neighbouring Burkina Faso. "We spoke of peace and reconciliation," Ibrahim Ag Mohamed Assale, head of external relations for the Tuareg MNLA rebels, said following the closed-door meeting at the presidential residence late on Sunday.

But many in the capital Bamako viewed the unannounced visit with the president, during which Traore broke the Muslim holy month of Ramadan's traditional daytime fast with the Tuareg leaders, as an affront. "Dioncounda may forgive them, but the people will not," said Bamako resident Youssouf Toure. This statement makes the peace after election in doubt especially if the candidate that emerges the winner is not accepted by an aggrieved party.

Light-skinned Tuaregs like the Sudanese-Arabs have been blamed for attacks on black Malians in the northern city of Kidal and for the abduction of four election workers and a deputy mayor in another northern town last week. Two of the Tuareg delegation are named in arrest warrants for alleged crimes committed during the occupation of the north. The Tuaregs had also vowed to expel all blacks from their vicinities before the peace deal; signalling a fear of another South-Sudan-Sudan-Darfur encounter.

Nigeria: More Investment Coming for Phones' Data Despite Insecurity and Erratic Power Supply

With recent moves in the adoption of rapid data-carrying smartphones, phone companies are planning to invest at least $5 billion in Nigeria. Nigeria is combating myriads of crises affecting mobile communications. The most central threat to the carriers comes from Islamist militants called Boko Haram as well as erratic power supply. The insurgents target phone company installations and well have killed thousands as well as destroyed massive properties.

The number of Nigerian smartphone users has been projected to increase to more than 35 million in 2017 from 5.6 million at the end of last year, according to researcher Informa. About 10 percent of Nigerian wireless subscribers use smartphones today. “Voice will remain the major chunk of revenue, but data is where the growth is,” Airtel’s Ogunsanya said. His company says its Nigerian business will expand at 10 percent or more this year.

The threat of bomb attacks is almost the biggest challenges facing wireless operators in Nigeria. Some days before Christmas in 2012, two suspected Islamist militants killed themselves in separate bombings that rocked offices of Airtel and MTN Group Ltd. (MTN) in northern Nigeria. MTN added 1,175 3G sites in Nigeria in 2012, almost triple its installations the previous year, while doubling capital expenditure in the country, according to the company. MTN also operates in Yemen, Iran and Afghanistan,

“It’s becoming increasingly challenging to operate” in areas where rebels are active, Segun Ogunsanya, CEO of Bharti Airtel Ltd. (BHARTI)’s Nigerian unit, said by phone. “We are not security experts,” he told Bloomberg. Nigeria remains Africa’s most populous country and is expected to grow by 7.2 percent this year, versus an average of 5.6 percent for sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Monetary Fund. It is a major market in Africa with a population of about 160 million.

Nigeria's mobile market is also the continent’s biggest, at 114 million subscriptions. That will grow to more than 200 million subscriptions by 2017, researcher Informa Telecoms & Media predicts. The militants continue to threaten the existence of the service providers.

MTN, Nigeria’s biggest mobile-phone provider, in April said it secured a $3 billion loan to invest in the country. Globacom Ltd., the No. 2 carrier, is investing $1.25 billion to upgrade and expand its network in Nigeria. No. 3 Airtel has invested $1.2 billion in Nigeria since 2010. Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (ETISALAT), the fourth-largest carrier in the country, said its Nigerian unit has secured a $1.2 billion loan for expansion.

The numerous and fearsome attacks have drastically reduced since the declaration of the state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states but the Islamists did not give up though; this time, mainly targeting students. Phone services which were suspended to break the communication links of the insurgents have also been restored following improvement in the security situations of these states.

We will Help Bury PDP if the Leadership Wants to Kill It ~Murtala Nyako

Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state revealed that if the desire of the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is to kill the party, with injustice and unfair practices, state governors as dutiful members, would remain to help bury  the party.

Former military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd) speaking in Minna, Niger state, yesterday after a closed-door meeting with the governors that was also attended by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) described the governors of Niger, Sokoto, Adamawa, Jigawa and Kano as patriots working to save the nation’s democracy.

The governors had earlier on Sunday visited former president Olusegun Obasanjo at his house in Abeokuta, Ogun state for 'consultations on how to save Nigeria.' Nyako said in Yola yesterday that five of the northern governors were in Abeokuta and Minna for consultations with the two former presidents on very important matters, saying, “We visited the most accomplished Nigerians ever and would remain so for a very long time and to consult with them on very important matters.”

Nyako further said that the visits were part of the consultations the five concerned governors were making and to also inform the two former presidents about their discomfort in the PDP and their plans ahead of the 2015 elections. He, however, expressed regret that the PDP was facing serious internal problems that are threatening its existence as a formidable political party.

Nyako said he had no plan to leave PDP in spite of the present challenges facing the party. He said that as an elder in the party, he would not abandon it even if his loyalists did, debunking the news making rounds in Adamawa state that he is planning to leave the party for the All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP) which is also part of the yet-to-be-registered APC formation.

The governor explained that it was in the quest to find solutions to the problems that made him and four other concerned governors to visit Obasanjo and other stakeholders that have the interest of the party. He said: “As a beneficiary of PDP, I am committed like others to stay with the party and give necessary pieces of advice that would move the party forward. But if the party’s national leadership is bent on killing the party, with injustice and unfair practices, as dutiful members of the party, we would remain to help bury it.”

The governor said hopefully, the ongoing consultations would yield positive result to save the PDP at the end. According to him, “If the advises being provided by the concerned members are heeded, good. But if the advises are ignored, then like others, we would have no option than, being good children of the PDP, to remain in the party up to the time it would collapse or die finally so that we could go and bury it.”

Early Marriage and the Nigerian Brouhaha: An African Perspective

The Nigerian state has been, currently, flooded with series of protests, most centrally, coming from the social media with twitter, as usual, taking the lead. The whole show stemmed from the decision of the Senate to retain Section 29 subsection 4(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Nigeria which discusses renunciation of citizenship with emphasis on 18 years as the classified and legal full age authenticated by law but placed a caveat by referring to a married girl as being of full age.

This is seen by many as a stamp to legalise the activities of paedophiles than endorse an Islamic injunction which of course Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima relied upon to marry and invoked upon marrying a 13-year old Egyptian girl. The girl-child as noticed in the campaigns against the retention of the subsection must be given education and protected for a virile future not married off to become a bride to an elderly man as old as 65. This, not to pass judgement, is logical.

The subsection did not expunge or affect any other provisions on marriage but definitely is capable of going a long way in affecting the girl-child. The arguments in favour of early marriage, espoused by learned scholars, rational ones and even Ahmed Yerima are so apt and germane. They are centred on the sensuousness, obscenity and lewdness that have perverted the society and this is where African culture meets with them.

Going by the Islamic injunction, it is said that the girl after marriage must acquiesce to sexual advancement willingly and not forced to. Fear of amorous advances and pregnancy which could affect the girl-child remains the bedrock of the campaigns with some bringing the issue of Vesicle Virginal Fistula into the matter. Well, as regards VVF, it can also happen to adults, say of even 30 years though that of female children is more pronounced.

To the main issue, the Noble Quran states in An Nisa; 6:

And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them... (emphasis mine)

The first question many scholars of Islam are not answering or have not been able to enlighten the public on is the relationship between the age of marriage and sound judgement which of course is well answered in the African culture and customs. Another is, what is the basis for a 65-year old man marrying a 13-year old girl?

Going by the defence, Ahmed Yerima said he can give out his daughter as age 6 because of the moral decadence in the society. Not to argue with that, one should be poised to ask: 'To who?' Another 65-year old man? This is the moral premise of the campaigns against the girl-child-bride and early marriage imbroglio.

In African culture with much reliance on indigenous researches done personally on many a cultural patterns we do not take note of today as well as on scholarly works, most notably, Camara Laye's The African Child, early marriage is well encouraged. This has been the bedrock of the 'purity' of the society. But, there are models and structures put in place for the couples which are almost non existent in the society of today.

After the circumcision rituals for men ranging the between the ages of 14 to 16 to integrate and incorporate them into the age-grade system with much lectures and orientations from the elderly ones, they are free to start having female friends and no longer will be monitored by their mothers. They are deemed to be of manly decisions but shall continue to be regulated by their fathers. This in essence proves how well structured the system is. Also, the wife belongs to the family not the man in Africa, hence, the man shall accord full respect to the woman to avoid family backlash. This is synonymous what the Noble Quran says of the respect that must be accorded to a girl that marries early.

Ahmed Yerima and other senators might most probable be hitting the nail on the head but the citizens understand perfectly well their politicians. These same set of people continue to impoverish the land and have not done anything tangible to uplift Nigerians, rather, are always interested in passing obfuscating and queasy bills. Sensible bills are on their tables needing express actions yet unattended to.

Bills like Freedom of Information Bill dragged on for almost a decade before it saw the light of day. Petroleum Industry Bill is still there. Nigerians say they want bills with the powerful force of law offering specific jail terms for anybody found guilty of corruption so that people like AbdulRashid Maina of the Pensions scam will stop walking free, senators turned deaf ears because they are thieves. They voted to kill the Local Government Autonomy Bill but endorsed a law that will ensure criminality against the girl-child.

The Child-not-Bride campaigns are not to go against an Islamic injunction because the Noble Quran has laid down guidelines for such marriage but we know it is the children of the poor that will suffer. Ahmed Yerima and other senators should show Nigerians how many of their female children married at age 6, 10 or 13. The poor man with no means of sending his children to school and having to know it is no crime to marry the girl off even against her wish since the law is there, will not delay in doing such.

Muslims do not understand that if they can defend the act with Islamic values, that man from my village can use the law to violate the fundamental rights of the girl-child and of course he is no Muslim so he has no religious responsibility to respect the child. The law says she has attained full age once she is married so he can force her to marry and claim she has attained full age.

If it remains an Islamic culture just like it is in the African culture without the voice of law, it will deter many and any violation can successfully be dealt with. Deterrence of violation is the major concern not being against what naturally is good for the society ceteris paribus. A 6-year old girl has no good sense of judgement. If she indulges in immoral acts, it is because the parents are no parents. I know a 26-year old girl who has never had sex and there are many. Immorality has been with man from time immemorial but not enough to give criminals a chance to disrespect the girl-child.

Marrying early is not a total guarantee of purity against obscenity. There are many who married early but indulged in fornication cum adultery with the excuse of convenience that they were not allowed to enjoy their youth. The society needs these senators to make education attractive. The economy is also not helping matters because in the African system, after circumcision procedures, farmlands are usually allotted to the male children in preparation to be able to feed their households.

A young man with no financial wherewithal cannot dream of early marriage. He will not be interested in breeding children who will not be able to measure up to standards. This definitely makes it easy for people like Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, his confederates and accomplices in the Senate to take the young girls as brides. The same set of people that destroyed meaningful ventures that the able-bodied men can embark on through corruption and pillaging of resources now want to start accumulating the girls.

If Yerima had married the girl to his son who is, maybe 17, even 20 years, I will be one of those supporting him today because it is an acceptable norm. He will be in a good position to support the family if need be which by all standard is logically 'endorseable'. This is where the African system gives credence to early marriage. The family will solidly be behind the couples. It is a communal and family affair. The consent of the girl is also crucial in the African system.

Senator Yerima revealed that marriage is not about sex but assistance at home. The girl-child then can successfully be adopted, be given education and will work at home as expected not married. This is very apt, pertinent and to a free mind, not a closed one, this will be the best option if she is only needed to help at home not in bed. Why take a wife that will not grace your bed? Then, she is better as an adopted daughter than a wife.

There are violations too when fathers give their children to chiefs and prominent men at tender ages but that is an exception not a rule as against the case of what section 29 subsection 4(d) will do or is capable of doing. Our senators need to think and research well, not sit in the oval office or hallowed chamber and make pugnacious laws.

Nigeria is under International Pressure to Sign Gay Rights Bill ~Foreign Minister

Barely some weeks after the Nigerian senators passed the bill encouraging early child marriage, the minister for foreign affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru has come in the open while`interacting with diplomats on Friday that Nigeria is under real pressure from the international community to sign the gay rights bill into law.

United Kingdom was the first country that threatened Nigeria with economic sanctions and a closure to the flow of aid to the country. It was expressly joined by the United States

The minister stated that Nigeria has never tried to impose its culture on any country in the world and does not understand why pressure will be heavily mounted on it to accept what is not acceptable to the country and its people. He also hinted that Nigeria will longer tolerate foreign missions that intercede on their citizens' behalf not to face trial or be freed during trial whenever they bring in contraband goods or illegally ship unwanted items into the country.

Nigerians are still reacting with massive annoyance over the bill passed by the senate which they see as encouraging paedophiles and crimes against the girl-child. Senator Ahmad Sani Yerima from Zamfara, who married a 13-year old Egyptian girl much to the chagrin of many is the main sponsor and proponent of the bill.

The senate refused to amend the constitution in favour of local government autonomy as well as pass a bill that will sincerely criminalise corruption with specific jail terms as is in the cases of rape and homosexuality.

Nigeria: Government to Prosecute over 500 Oil Thieves

Oil stealing otherwise known as "bunkering" or 'illegal bunkering' in some quarters in Nigeria is very prominent in the Niger-Delta region. Gangs most times destroy and tap into pipelines in the creeks and swamps of the Niger-Delta, siphoning off hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil a day in operations.

Some are always running out of luck and get arrested. Those already arrested are to be prosecuted by Nigeria's government. About 500 people have been detained on allegations of stealing oil, officials said on Thursday in a crackdown on a criminal enterprise that drains up to a fifth of the country's oil output.

The governor of Delta state, Emmanuel Uduaghan, told reporters after a meeting at President Goodluck Jonathan's house that the government was preparing cases for oil theft, which carries a prison sentence of 21 years.

"The resolutions included that a legal task force ... be set up immediately to commence prosecution of proven cases, using relevant laws," Uduaghan said. Finance Minister Okonjo Iweala had earlier siad that an estimated 400,000 barrels a day was lost to theft, or about a fifth of the output of Africa's leading energy producer.

About 90 percent of the stolen fuel is sold onto international markets, to criminal networks in the Balkans or refiners in Singapore, analysts say. The rest is refined for local consumption, filling a gap left by Nigeria's defunct legitimate refineries.

Security forces said on Sunday they had impounded three barges laden with 600,000 litres of illegally refined fuel in the Delta. But enforcement has proven difficult because Nigeria's own žsecurity forces are complicit in the practice.

Residents of the Delta say the lack of development and environmental devastation in the region of mangrove swamps has given many a feeling that they are entitled to help themselves to a share of Nigeria's vast oil wealth.

President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier in the year appealed to foreign buyers to shun stolen oil from Nigeria. His appeal tilted towards labelling stolen oil as 'blood oil' just like in the case of diamond from Sierra Leone. The volatility of the Niger-Delta region is having its effect on the Gulf of Guinea where piracy is on the rise.

On Snowden: United States has no Functioning Democracy ~Jimmy Carter

Former US President Jimmy Carter lambasted the whitewashed US intelligence methods as undemocratic and described Edward Snowden’s NSA leak as “beneficial” for the country. Jimmy Carter was President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

After leaving office, he founded the Carter Centre, an NGO advocating human rights. The ex-president’s human rights credentials won him Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. The Carter Centre or Foundation was very instrumental and active in assisting South Sudan when still under the grip and oppression of Sudan.

Carter lashed out at the US political system when the issue of the previously top-secret NSA surveillance program was touched upon at the Atlantic Bridge meeting on Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia. "America has no functioning democracy at this moment," Carter said, according to Der Spiegel. Carter has also criticised America's use of drones heavily labelling it a notorious violation of rights.

He believes the spying-scandal is undermining democracy around the world, as people become increasingly suspicious of US internet platforms, such as Google and Facebook. While such mediums have normally been associated with freedom of speech and have recently become a major driving force behind emerging democratic movements, fallout from the NSA spying scandal has dented their credibility.

It’s not the first time Carter has criticized US intelligence policies. In a previous interview with CNN, he said the NSA leaks signified that “the invasion of human rights and American privacy has gone too far." He added that although Snowden violated US law, he may have ultimately done good for the country.  

"I think that the secrecy that has been surrounding this invasion of privacy has been excessive, so I think that the bringing of it to the public notice has probably been, in the long term, beneficial." Jimmy Carter also opined upon the election of Barack Obama that America's democratic standard is somehow intolerant. He said "the basic problem among whites in this country is that they can't just figure out why a black man should be President".

United States braces up for Military Action in Syria

President Barack Obama is considering using military force in Syria, and the Pentagon has prepared various scenarios for possible United States intervention. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Obama administration is deliberating whether or not it should use the brute of the US military in Syria during a Thursday morning Senate hearing.

Gen. Dempsey said the administration was considering using “kinetic strikes” in Syria and said "issue is under deliberation inside of our agencies of government,” the Associated Press reported from Washington.

Dempsey, 61, is the highest ranking officer in the US military and has been nominated by Pres. Obama to serve a second term in that role. The Senate Armed Services Committee questioned him Thursday morning as part of the nominating process when Dempsey briefly discussed the situation in Syria.

Last month, the Obama administration concluded that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons during the ongoing battles. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes said, “The intelligence community estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date; however, casualty data is likely incomplete.”

Pres. Obama said previously that the use of chemical weapons would cross a “red line” and likely trigger American intervention. When the White House concluded Assad had relied on chemical warfare, Rhodes said, “both the political and the military opposition . . . is and will be receiving US assistance."

That claim was met with skepticism, though. The Syrian Foreign Ministry called Obama’s claims a “caravan of lies.” Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, later presented to the UN evidence supplied to his government that suggested the Syrian opposition fighters used chemical weapons.

With regards to foreign intervention, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said, “Providing arms to either side would not address this current situation.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and his father, former congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) have also cautioned the White House against aiding Syrian rebels.

“You will be funding today the allies of al Qaeda” by aiding Syrian rebels, Sen. Paul said in May.

On his part, the retired lawmaker from Texas insisted that the administration’s lead up to possible intervention is “identical to the massive deception campaign that led us into the Iraq War.”

That isn’t to say the GOP is entirely opposed to taking any action. Although directly using the American military — either through boots-on-the-ground or unmanned aircraft — has been rarely discussed in public, Sens. John McCain (R-Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), two long-time leaders within the Republican party, have been relentless with efforts to equip opposition fighters.

"I don't care what it takes," Graham told Foreign Policy’s The Cable earlier this year. "If the choice is to send in troops to secure the weapons sites versus allowing chemical weapons to get in the hands of some of the most violent people in the world, I vote to cut this off before it becomes a problem."

Other US officials have previously said Washington is considering implementing a no-fly zone above Syria, and last month the Pentagon left a fleet of F-16 fighter planes and its Patriot anti-missile system on the border of neighboring Jordan following a routine military drill.

Russia Today

Pirates Hijacked Vessel off the Coast of Gabon

Barely some weeks after West and Central African leaders met to discuss the rising case of piracy and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea, pirates struck again. The new technique really worked perfectly well. The pirates seemingly boarded the Malta-flagged Cotton tanker, carrying a partly loaded cargo of fuel oil, on Monday near Port Gentil, Gabon, in the first reported attack in that region in the past five years, Turkish operator Geden Lines said according to Reuters.

The piracy was on an oil products tanker with 24 crew on board off the Gabon coast, the vessel's operator said on Wednesday. "The company is in contact with the families of the 24 Indian crew members on board and the appropriate authorities have been contacted," Geden Lines said in a statement.

The Gulf of Guinea is really under real and imagined threats with the piracy scourge. It includes Nigeria, Ghana and Cote D'Ivoire as well as Gabon and remains a major source of oil, cocoa and, increasingly, metals for world markets. International navies are not actively engaged in counter-piracy missions in the region.

The anchorage of vessels off West African coastal nations, with little protection makes them readied target for criminals unlike waters off Somalia and the Horn of Africa, where ships can move past at high speed with armed guards on board.

The UN had earlier lauded the efforts of the West African leaders who met in Cameroon on the rising case of piracy and even called for the intervention of a multinational naval force. "The attack occurred around 200 nautical miles (NM) further south than the previous most southerly attack, which was around 160NM southwest of Bonny Island (in Nigeria) on 26 April," security firm AKE said.

"It therefore marks a significant expansion of the geographical range of Gulf of Guinea piracy. It also demonstrates the regional nature of the illegal fuel trade, the supply of which tankers such as Cotton are generally hijacked for."

Maummar Gaddafi's Stronghold to Become an Amusement Park ~Libyan Tourism Minister

Libyan Tourism Minister revealed that the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi’s residence will be turned into an amusement park. The seat of the ex-leader’s power was reduced to rubble by NATO bombardment and has since been occupied by squatters.

Work is ongoing in earnest to clear the rubble from the ruins of Bab al-Aziziya, which has since been a black spot in Tripoli and a source of concern for residents according to the Tourist Minister, Ikram Basha Imam on Tuesday. She went on to say the space will be converted into “a green area and an amusement” for the entertainment of Libyan families. Moreover, eight private enterprises have already signed contracts for the site’s development Basha Imam said.

When speaking on the squatters that took up residence in the ruins of the former sprawling complex, she said social services were currently searching for new homes for them. The massive compound which served as a military base for Gaddafi was a key bombing target for the NATO 2011 aerial campaign against the former leader. Rebels stormed the fortress on August 23 after guards surrendered aided by NATO aerial cover in a no-fly-zone-turned-invasion scenario. The site was subsequently completely ransacked and vandalized by them.

Premises of high-profile NATO’s enemies are gradually emerging into tourist zones. Pakistani officials announced plans to build a recreation complex with a zoo, paragliding club and water sports facilities in the town where the former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by US navy seals in 2011. Since the 2003 US invasion of  Iraq, the government is still trying to secure international investments to turn some 70 abandoned villas and palaces of Saddam Hussein into tourism sites.

Gaddafi was killed by rebels as he tried to flee to his hometown of Sirte in October of 2011. Libya is still subdued by shackles of unrest and heavily arrested by violence, two years after his demise with the interim government unable to bring the country’s many militia groups under its command. Over the last couple of months locals have clashed with armed militia groups who are a law unto themselves in rural areas of the country. NATO is largely nowhere to be found now.

ACN Rivers Slaps Lai Mohammed, ACN National on Amaechi

Below is the text of the statement signed by Rivers ACN Secretary Amonibia Akoko:

“It has come to the notice of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Rivers state Chapter that Mr. Lai Mohammed, National Publicity Secretary of the party, has been issuing statements on the unfortunate events unfolding in Rivers state. We the ACN in Rivers Chapter know the true picture of events that are unfolding in Rivers State.

“And we know that in this incidence the main culprit is Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, who during the last electioneering campaign and election, sealed up the Campaign Secretariat of Dr. Abiye Precious Sekibo, used the Nigerian security agencies to arrest and intimidate our members. When all this was going on, Mr. Lai Mohammed did not send us word of encouragement or support, as a party in Rivers state.

“Political parties have structures; starting from the Ward level to the National Headquarters. It is against the party’s constitution for the National Publicity Secretary to usurp the functions of the party at the State, Local and Ward levels.

We as members of the ACN in Rivers state, have never met and passed a resolution or informed the National Headquarters of the ACN that we want President Goodluck Jonathan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to be impeached. Mr. Lai Mohammed should respect the high office he holds as Publicity Secretary of our great party.

“Consequently, we the Executive and members of the Rivers State Chapter of the ACN totally disown the call for the impeachment of President Goodluck Jonathan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We unanimously condemn the hasty action and resolution passed by one arm of the National Assembly – the House of Representatives, to take over the business of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“We however commend the Nigerian Senate for the unbiased and balanced position it has taken to send a fact-finding mission to Rivers State, and find out the true position of things. We also call on the Inspector General of Police not to heed the one-sided call for the deployment of Mr. Joseph Mbu the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, as Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi had used the police to hunt down, harassed and intimidated members of the ACN party of Nigeria and other opposition parties in Rivers State.

“We ask that the status-quo in Rivers State should be maintained until the fact-finding mission dispatched by the Senate, arrives to ascertain the true picture of events. We urge Rivers State people to be law-abiding, as whatever we do shall affect our people and not the likes of Mr. Lai Mohammed, the uninformed members of the House of Representatives and their acolytes, whose inciting statements would only ignite more fire for us to burn.

"Iran wants weapons that can hit the United States" ~Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday that Iran was moving closer to developing nuclear weapons capable of striking the US and urged the Obama administration to take a harder line.

In his address on “Face the Nation,” Netanyahu revealed that the new government in Tehran will not stop the process no matter how liberal it is thought to be. He said Iran’s nuclear programme would have intercontinental ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear weapon to the United States within a few years.

“They don’t need these missiles to reach us,” Netanyahu said. “They already have missiles that can reach us.”

The series of sanctions imposed on Iran by the US are not enough to satisfy Netanyahu's quest; he prefers and wants an all-out war spearheaded by Washington. The Obama administration signaled optimism following the election of new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, who was the country's chief nuclear negotiator in 2003-2005 when Iran struck a deal with the European Union to suspend enrichment. To Netanyahu, little has changed under Rouhani.

“They’re getting closer and closer to the bomb, and they have to be told in no uncertain terms that that will not be allowed to happen,” he said. The United States, he said, has a crucial role to play in demanding that Iran cease enrichment efforts and dismantle its nuclear facility.

“You should ratchet up the sanctions and make it clear to Iran that they won’t get away with it. And if sanctions don’t work, then they have to know that you will be prepared to take military action,” Netanyahu said. “That’s the only thing that will get their attention.”

When he was asked the condition that could prompt Israel to attack Iran, Netanyahu said “I won’t wait until it’s too late.” Israel has been speculated to be the only nuclear nation in the Middle East and bearing that in mind, it really does not want a rival for the MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) theory to be plausible.

Thousands protest in Israel Saying Netanyahu and Morsi are Same

On Saturday, thousands of people marched on Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, marking the two-year anniversary of social protests against the high cost of living and economic policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minster Yair Lapid.

The organizers planned a vigil to last until Sunday morning, marking two years since the massive street demonstrations of 2011.

Protesters blocked traffic in downtown Tel Aviv as police declared the demonstration illegal and attempted to disperse the crowd. Protesters shouted, “Bibi [Netanyahu] and [deposed Egyptian President Mohammed] Morsi are the same revolution."

One person was arrested in the protest, which lasted until midnight. The city’s mayoral candidate, Nitzan Horowitz, told Haaretz that the demonstrations are “more just than ever…People are crying out for two years, and the problem only gets worse.”

He added that Lapid - who essentially built up his popularity by supporting the previous protests - has turned into a servant of the same system, enacting worse budget laws than his predecessors.

The leader of the 2011 protest has called on Lapid to step down, hoping this year’s demonstration will provide “an opening for a new season of protest," underlining that it is not about food or medicine, but that “a response to thieves must be revolution” – one that belongs to everyone, not just the middle classes.

Over 55,000 Congolese refugees flee to Uganda as clashes intensify

Uganda is gradually being extremely flooded by refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo with the incessant rise and intensification of communal clashes. About 3,000 were earliest recorded to have fled but the number represented a drop in the ocean with the latest reports. From 3,000, it soared to about 30,000.

The number of Congolese refugees to Uganda was recorded to have exceeded 55,000 late Saturday and increased by nearly 20,000 compared with the day before. Thousands of newcomers temporarily settle at schools in Bundibugyo, about 20km (12 miles) from the border with Congo.

Mass exodus began as the town of Kamango in the northernmost part of DR Congo's North Kivu province was attacked Thursday by a Ugandan-led rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces, which was formed in the mid-1990s. Congo is really battling with heavy insurgencies and high cases of militants attacks with that of and from the M23 rebels being the most prominent and the highest national headache.

FG confiscates 1500 double barrel guns illegally imported by Zamfara State Governor

By Malik Shabbazz

FG has ordered the confiscation of 1500 double barrel guns illegally imported by Zamfara State Governor. Sources revealed that the Federal Government ordered the seizure of the guns based on the alleged contravention of firearms laws of the land.

The governor is said to harbour feelings of betrayal against the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, also an indigene of the state due to a soft approval given the governor by the IG which is now being trampled upon.

Sources revealed that there was an armed robbery crisis in the state in 2012, during which the governor sought and clinched approval from the state police commissioner on the formulation of a vigilante group. It is said to have been agreed that the group would be armed at which time, the governor then decided to import double-barrel guns.

A source said: “The governor ordered for 1,500 double-barrelled guns through a dealer in Kano who got supplies from Ukraine.’

However the federal government has ordered the repatriation of the guns to Abuja because there was no executive approval to import the arms.

Sources disclosed that the importation was executed to bypass the approval of the presidency because of the belief that individuals can buy double-barrel guns and apply for licence from police.

The source said, “Due to the brouhaha and outrage the issue generated and in order to avoid a presidential hammer, the police had to follow the rules and now the IG had ordered that the guns be taken to the Force Headquarters. They were being taken to Abuja right now.”