1. Report: Romanian president’s brother smuggled Taiwanese arms to Hizbullah and Angola

The brother of Romania’s president has reportedly assisted in redirecting obsolete Taiwanese weaponry to Hizbullah and another group in Africa. Taiwan, however, dismissed on Wednesday as “groundless” Taipei-based Next Magazine’s report linking Mircea Basescu, the brother of Romania’s President Traian Basescu, to smuggling obsolete Taiwanese arms.

The arms landed up with Hizbullah and Angola’s Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda after 1,800 tons of grenades, smoke bombs and landmines had been sent to Bulgaria for destruction, Next reported. Calling the report “groundless,” the defense ministry said the Taiwanese ammunition was destroyed in Bulgaria in 2009 by Explomo Technical Services, a Singapore-based firm. “The report is based on speculation and there is no evidence to support its claims,” said ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue. “However, we will look into the matter and seek compensation if there is new evidence indicating that our contractor has violated the contract,” he told AFP. Next said Basescu had rejected reports on the case in the Romanian media, while his brother had denied involvement in handling Taiwanese ammunition destined for destruction.(AFP-Naharnet)

source: naharnet

2. 24 hour curfew imposed to quell violence in Nigeria

Jos, Plateau, Nigeria (AHN) - Authorities have imposed a round-the-clock curfew in this central Nigeria city after violence that has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people continued for a third day. The police commissioner for Plateau State, Gregory Anyating, declared a 24-hour curfew Tuesday morning after a night-time curfew failed to quell disturbances that began Sunday. The number of people killed in the violence is not known. Unconfirmed reports place the number of dead at about 70, with about 600 injured in the most recent outbreak.

About 150 people had been killed in the fighting, according to another report. An employee of a mosque said 71 people had been buried since Sunday and another 78 were yet to be buried. Despite the curfew, residents of this city of about 510,000 said sporadic gunfire could be heard and that several houses were on fire. Troops from the country’s 3rd Armored Division have been ordered into the city. A spokesman for Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan described the situation as being under control. The cause of the conflict, between Muslims and Christians, is said to have started over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in clashes two years ago.

To stem the possibility of conflict spreading, the governor of neighboring Bauchi state has taken pre-emptive action. Security agents have been ordered to “deal decisively with anyone seen or caught trying to either ignite trouble or are spreading unfounded rumors intended to breach the peace.”

3. Nigeria: religion still a blindfold for violence — the “clash of civilizations” narrative — notice the confusion over what sparked the violence
The State of Jos in Nigeria has proven to be a hot spot for religious violence, for the umpteenth time. Christians and Muslims have failed to resolve their differences by civil means, or compete fairly within the capacity of diplomacy. Factions of Muslim and Christian militias have often taken up arms and gone amok over competition for resources, and for political power.
…Jos is split into a Christian south and a Muslim north; further divided by the classification of the people as indigenes and settlers. According to the historical records, Hausa-speaking Muslims have been living in Jos for many decades but are still classified as settlers, meaning it is difficult for them to stand for election.
According to Reuters, the recent bout of violence was sparked by an argument over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the 2008 clashes. Residents told IRIN the clashes followed a dispute over a Muslim resident’s reconstruction of his home that had been burned down in February 2008, in which according to Human Rights Watch 133 people died. But some unconfirmed sources have said the cause of this recent clash was as trivial as football. Some experts however, blame the clashes on sectarianism, but poverty and access to resources such as land often play a strong role in analyzing this violence.

Nonetheless, the violence has spread beyond the city boundaries of Jos, to neighboring areas….

The Christians and Muslims in Jos are also divided along political party lines with Christians mostly backing the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Muslims generally supporting the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). The incessant clashes have often been over resources and political power in Jos. In Nigeria, political office means access to resources, thus ethnicities, and religions have clashed over this right to loot.

source: afrik.com

4. Zimbabwe: prisoners move around naked in squalid conditions

A recent report has revealed the growing state of hopelessness in Zimbabwean prisons as a large number of prisoners languish without clothes. The impoverished state of the prison system has led to an acute shortage of basic necessities and raised the risk of infectious diseases as prisoners and officers exchange uniforms for court appearances….In recent years, Zimbabwe’s 55 prisons have been described as ‘death camps’. Dire prison conditions have turned the cells into breeding grounds for cholera, diarrhea and tuberculosis, compounding the already high HIV rate in a nation where 15,6 percent of adults carry the virus that causes AIDS.

more @ afrik.com

5. Uganda mega media scandal unearthed — Saatchi & Saatchi — big NYC advertising company hooking up with president’s son-in-law to “win” bid for 2007 Commonwealth Summit

Uganda legislatures have unearthed a mega scandal in a publicity contract for four-month media campaign during the 2007 Commonwealth Summit. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has discovered that that out of the 17 companies that submitted their bids, 16 were disqualified because they allegedly lacked ‘documents’. Saatchi and Saatchi and ‘won’ the contract during the preparations to host the summit in 2007.

The evaluation committee had recommended only Shs1.8 billion for Saatchi & Saatchi/Terp Group, but the company was paid Shs2.4bn to run the publicity event. “The contracts committee and the procurement unit have 48 hours to PAC why they inflated the price by as much as Shs600 million,” said PAC chair Mafabi Nandala. Also under question is to why the company, Saatchi and Saatchi and Terp Group, submitted empty bid boxes in order to meet the deadline and submitted its bid later. Terp Group, a firm owned by President Museveni’s son-in-law Odrek Rwabwogo teamed up with Saatchi & Saatchi, a firm owned by Mr. Patrick Quarcoo to run the Chogm media campaign. The procurement department has sought some time to enable it provide the technical explanation of the figures.

source: newstime africa