As expected, U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech to Africa in Accra had plenty to say on the importance of good governance – but there was also a very strong message that his ‘new moment of promise’ is one that Africans have to seize for themselves. ‘You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and [...]
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has welcomed the launch last week of the British Government white paper, ‘building our common future’. The paper which is a rebranding of the goals and objectives of the department for international development (DFID) commits additional support for the world’s poorest people affected by conflict, climate change and [...]
By Rev. Dr. Bernard J.O’Connor On March 17, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI responded to questions from journalists during his flight while en route to Cameroon. Zenit International News Service published this interview (http://www.zenit.org/phprint.php ) the following day, enabling us to critique the response of the Pope to an issue raised by France 2’s Philippe Visseyrias. [...]
Sister organisations of transparency international (TI) in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have reported in their first ever bribery index that the Kenya police is the most corrupt institution in East Africa. The survey conducted between 16th April and 15th May this year, indicates that Kenya has the highest incidence of corruption at 45% while the [...]
A British engineering company, Mabey & Johnson Ltd has admitted involvement in corruption in Ghana. The management of the company appeared at London’s Westminster magistrates court Friday 10th July to answer to charges of corruption. This is the first prosecution brought in the UK against a company for overseas corruption. The company, which is a [...]
South Africa: The country’s second-largest steel producer Highveld Steel & Vanadium would join its larger rival, ArcelorMittal South Africa, in raising steel prices as from the start of August, having refrained from doing so in July. Engineering News Online has learned that Highveld would increase prices on its plate products by between 6% and 9% [...]
Cameroon: The international monetary fund (IMF) has given government approximately US$144.1 million to help the country weather the effects of the global shocks on its balance of payments. The disbursement falls under the rapid access component of the exogenous shocks facility (ESF). The approval enables the disbursement of the full amount immediately. The IMF financial [...]
The joint Congo (DRC)-Rwanda military push against the Rwandan Hutu rebels has ended with scant results. Fifteen years after the Rwanda genocide and the establishment of those rebels in the eastern Congo, they have not yet been disarmed and remain a source of extreme violence against civilians. While they are militarily too weak to destabilise [...]
Cote d’Ivoire: 13 July 2009 –The top United Nations envoy to Côte d’Ivoire has held talks with the President of the nation on progress made in the peace process, including voter identification and registration, and the upcoming presidential elections. During the meeting held Sunday 12th July in the capital, Yamoussoukro, with President Laurent Gbagbo, UN [...]
The Hague: Luis Moreno Ocampo, the prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC) has informed that he received Thurs 9th July a sealed envelope from former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. Annan, who is the Chairman of the African union panel of eminent African personalities, delivered the sealed envelope and supporting materials previously entrusted to him [...]
