SmallShop....Africa News

Norway has just hosted a meeting of the International Contact Group for Somalia to discuss the political process, security situation and desperate humanitarian conditions in the country which has endured 17 years of chaos and civil war. Jeffrey Gettleman, the East Africa bureau chief of The New York Times, and John Prendergast, the co-chair of the Enough Project which seeks sustainable solutions to on-going crises in Africa, join Riz Khan to discuss this volatile region of the Horn of Africa.

REPORT : In Capetown, the home of the South African parliament there are frequent protests for more housing. People even decided to move to social housings which are still being built without water or electricity.

Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reports on the victims of an attack by the supporters of Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party. Jonothan Marikita was attacked as he slept in his home with his wife and one year old child who were also hurt. Marikita was attacked with an axe, maimed and left unconscious to die. Takesure Chingamawhe, another MDC supporter who was also attacked by supporters of Zanu PF is lucky to be alive. Both victims spoke exclusively to Al Jazeera from his hospital bed in Harare as elsewhere in the capital 200 other supporters of the Opposition MDC party were released from prison. Many of those released from prison have nowhere to go because their homes have been burnt down.

CNN's Robyn Curnow reports on a crackdown of opposition party members in Zimbabwe.

Ghana news : "Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffour, Executive Chairman of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), has been relieved of his post. The dismissal, which was confirmed by Information Minister, Oboshie Sai-Cofie, and Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, was part of a re-structuring exercise to inject efficiency into the programme."

Pretoria News: "Computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co sees Africa as one of its fastest-growing markets, it said yesterday, expecting the world's poorest continent to rival India for IT outsourcing within a decade. Hewlett-Packard Africa managing director Rainer Koch said its sales on the continent - which the International Monetary Fund said this month can expect 6.5% economic growth in 2008 - were rising 25% year-on-year."

BBC NEWS "The waters off the coast of Somalia have become some of the most treacherous in the world - swarming with well-armed pirates, searching for prey to hold to ransom."

THISDAY ONLINE : "I had just reported at our Apapa head office to start another day at work, when I received information that my editor had pencilled me down to be part of an exclusive group to cover a meeting between former president Olusegun Obasanjo and president of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe Mr Morgan Tsvangirai."

Nationmedia.com "Goldenberg architect Kamlesh Pattni’s surrender of the Grand Regency hotel to the Central Bank of Kenya did not include an amnesty of all cases he faces over the scandal. Though he had requested for the amnesty, it has emerged that the consent registered in the High Court whose order was given omitted three essential clauses in his plea."

New York Times : "LONDON — One of South Africa’s most senior political leaders lent support Wednesday to the idea of forming a national unity government in Zimbabwe to resolve its deepening crisis."

Africast Global Africa Network- News : "MAPUTO, April 23 -- Zimbabwe's opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai arrived in Maputo on Wednesday for talks with the Mozambican leadership about the post-election crisis in his homeland."

The census to work out power sharing and resource allocation threatens peace deal.

Classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, Senegal's Langue de Barbarie National Park welcomes nearly 5,000 visitors annually. But a breach dug to prevent flooding in the nearby village of Saint Louis is threatening the park.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Harare on the dire conditions on Zimbabwe's railways. People endure 14 hours of 'travel hell' in cramped, unhygienic, unsafe and uncomfortable conditions - because it is cheap and therefore affordable.

At odds for decades, Morocco and Algeria have entered what some see as the fiercest arms race in North Africa in years. Inside Story asks where this arms race will leave North Africa and what France and the US, vying for influence there, can do to prevent a deterioration in an already volatile region.

The fight for the Ogaden region, populated mainly by ethnic Somalis, known as the Ogadeen, has been going on for more than 19 years. Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports on their battle for independence.

Kenyan police clashed with gang members who blocked roads with burning cars and set a police post on fire

Hundreds of Dinka have returned after fleeing the war 20 years ago, and they are leading the push for an African idenity in the region, as opposed to an Arab one. Mohamed Vall reports.

Their bickering and accusations after disputed elections led to nationwide violence and threatened the future of what was one of Africa's most stable nations. But now Kenya's rival political leaders have made up and agreed to share power. President Mwai Kibaki has unveiled a cabinet of ministers from both sides of the political divide. The man who stood against him, Raila Odinga will be the new prime minister. Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege reports.

Southern African leaders have been urged to put pressure on Robert Mugabe at the start of an emergency summit on the Zimbabwe election crisis in Zambia. The Zimbabwean president himself snubbed the meeting and refused to travel to Lusaka. But he did hold his first talks with the South Africa president Thabo Mbeki in Harare. Sky's Kitty Logan reports.

This week we examine the West's struggle to cover elections in Zimbabwe.

Kenya's first conjoined twins scheduled for risky operation at Kenyatta Hospital.

Mail & Guardian Online : "A leader of Zimbabwe's feared war veterans, hard-line supporters of President Robert Mugabe, on Thursday denied the invasion of white-owned farms in the wake of a poll dispute. 'There are no farm invasions in Zimbabwe,' national chairperson of the War Veterans' Association Jabulani Sibanda told South African Broadcasting Corporation radio."

Delhi is aiming to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties.

Delhi is aiming to strengthen trade and diplomatic ties.

REPORT : One week after the Malian army launched its attack on Tuareg rebels, the situation remains tense in Goa's military base. Most NGOs have suspended their mission, while the international press is closely followed.

NewEra.com.na : "Lawyers for Zimbabwe’s opposition told the High Court yesterday there was no reason to further delay presidential election results, but the judge demanded more time to hear the case. Justice Tendai Uchena has dismissed claims by the electoral commission that his court has no jurisdiction in the matter and agreed it is an urgent matter, but has demanded a second day of hearings today. “We have to deal with matters with full concentration. Let’s postpone this matter until tomorrow at 10h00,” he said."

The News Online "The treason re-trial involving two former army officers, Charles Julu and Andrew Dorbor versus the Government of Liberia has been taken to neighboring Ivory Coast where two state witnesses are expected to testify against the defendants, under a procedure known as deposition"

Daily News : "Najwa Petersen on Wednesday formally pleaded not guilty to the murder of her entertainer husband Taliep. Taliep was shot in the couple's Athlone, Cape Town, home in December 2006, and his wife is standing trial in the Cape High Court along with three men the state claims she hired to carry out the killing."

zimbabwemetro.com : "Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, is expected to meet South African President Thabo Mbeki to try to end a political deadlock in Zimbabwe’s election. The meeting would mark Mbeki’s first overt involvement in resolving the crisis over the March 29 election. Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has accused Mugabe of trying to delay the results of the presidential election to try and find a way out of the worst political crisis in his 28-year rule."

Mugabe faces pressure to step down : "“The voice of the people is the voice of God,” goes the old saying. But for the past several years, the voice of the Ethiopian people has been silenced. Today, speaking is a state crime in Ethiopia. That is, speaking the truth. Speaking against corruption. Speaking against injustice and dictatorship. So is writing. That is, reporting the truth. Investigating allegations of official misconduct and abuse of power and publishing facts on them. Publishing critical information that holds government officials accountable is the worst sin of all. Journalists, reporters and publishers are persecuted as enemies of the state. Today, an iron curtain of information blackout is pulled over the entire country to shield the practitioners of corruption and abusers of power from public scrutiny."

Daily News Egypt "CAIRO: Egyptians Tuesday went to the polls a day after violent clashes in the Delta town of Mahalla between security bodies and protestors demonstrating against rising food prices. Rights groups reported an extremely low turnout for the local council elections, one group estimating that only about two percent of those eligible to vote did so."

The Tide Online : "The Federal Government yesterday slammed a 56-count charge against the former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange and the former Minister of State for Health, Gabriel Aduku. The charges which were filed before an Abuja High Court includes conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery to withdraw money from Federal Government’s treasury and fraud."

ZWNEWS.com "High Court judge Tendai Uchena postponed to Wednesday a ruling on an application by the MDC demanding the release of presidential election results from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Despite an earlier ruling that the matter was urgent, the judge demanded a second round of hearings ‘to deal with matters with full concentration.’ It remained unclear whether the judge was physically tired or just needed more time and arguments from the different legal teams."

Global poverty to halve by 2015, Africa lags - report : "The world is on course to halve extreme poverty by 2015, but Africa will fall far short of the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday."

The Punch: : "The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday told an Abuja High Court that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, was at large."

Protestors go to the streets over delay of formation of coalition government and power sharing between ODM & PNU

The Nation Newspaper "NEARLY 80 Ghanaians and Nigerians unaccounted for across Barbados have been asked to turn themselves in as soon as possible. The call was made by Minister of State Maxine McClean, who is responsible for immigration matters, and Chief Immigration Officer Gilbert Greaves, who both acknowledged that of the 96 Africans stranded here since February, only 17 to 12 Ghanaians and five Nigerians – are accounted for."

REPORT : In this market in Yopougon, it's not just consumers who are angry. The shopkeeper has never seen prices surge like this before. The government is trying to help but it's not clear how succesful they will be.

Post-election violence in Kenya has left at least 300,000 people displaced, The Times's Jeffrey Gettleman reports.

skynews

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai accuses Robert Mugabe of preparing for war against the people. Sky's Emma Hurd reports from Zimbabwe.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an estimated 400,000 people have been displaced since January. This is despite a peace deal between the government and rebel groups. State authority is virtually... (more) Added: April 05, 2008 In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an estimated 400,000 people have been displaced since January. This is despite a peace deal between the government and rebel groups. State authority is virtually non-existent in some parts of the country, where armed gangs have a stronghold. With rape, looting and destruction of property happening daily, villagers are too afraid to return to their homes, as Bernard Smith reports. The video footage has been provided by Médecins Sans Frontières

Freedom Newspaper "When ever Yahya Jammeh and his 'Compin' of different faces say or do something never look at the face value! Always go deeper and deeper because in today's Banjul or the immediate circle of Jammeh's whims and caprices, we have various reasons to suspect any motive they advance. Within this circle there are the 'seen', the 'unseen', the 'known',the 'unknown' and the 'cosmetic' types. Usually the latter take cover behind names like 'tradition','religion','patriotism','culture','respect'(which Yahya Jammeh knows nothing about!) or worst of all 'in defense of the revolution'."

Nationmedia.com "A new Cabinet list released by ODM on Friday showed that some of President Kibaki’s staunchest supporters are likely to be among major casualties of the new power-sharing Cabinet to be announced on Sunday."

THISDAY ONLINE : "Taking a wholistic risk assesment of the power probe being carried out by the House of Representatives, the governor of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday declared that members of the House Power and Steel Committee are on a suicide mission for daring to investigate how huge sums of money was spent in the electricity sector by the last administration."

Daily Trust "With the startling revelations from the on-going probe of the power sector starkly suggesting that ex-president Olusegun basanjo aided and abetted the misappropriation of about $16 billion spent by his administration on the sector,the question now being asked by many Nigerians is: will President Umaru Musa Yar’adua be courageous enough to prosecute Obasanjo if the former leader is eventually indicted by the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel championing the probe? Ordinarily, such a question shouldn’t have arisen, as the nation’s law which President Yar’adua has vowed to uphold ought not to be a respecter of anybody."

Accra Daily Mail "The Ashanti Regional Secretariat of the Convention People's Party (CPP) has expressed concern about the beating of war drums by the NDC and NPP ahead of the 2008 general elections. The agitations and negative pronouncements on the outcome of the elections, still about eight months away, the secretariat said, showed how confused, insensitive and irresponsible the two parties were."

NewEra.com.na : "National Heritage Council officials are at wits’ end following the costly mischief of some monkeys in the capital that continuously vandalise a bronze commemorative inscription at Heroes Acre, the country’s multi-million-dollar national war memorial. The monkeys have taken a particularly keen interest in Founding President, Dr Sam Nujoma’s tribute just below the statue of the Unknown Soldier. The statue was erected in memory of the legion of unknown freedom fighters that vanished into the mists of the liberation struggle."

Mugabe in tight spot : "PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe, defeated by main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the cliffhanger presidential election last weekend, is cornered as he tries to fight back after his dramatic eviction notice from State House."

Sunday Citizen Newspaper : "The simmering dispute within the Tanzania Railways Limited worsened yesterday after to heed a striking workers refused the Government directive to resume work until their demands are met. The workers stated their stand during a meeting with the minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development, Prof Juma Kapuya, who had earlier assured them that the Government would solve their problems within a week. The simmering dispute within the Tanzania Railways Limited worsened yesterday after to heed a striking workers refused the Government directive to resume work until their demands are met. The workers stated their stand during a meeting with the minister for Labour, Employment and Youth Development, Prof Juma Kapuya, who had earlier assured them that the Government would solve their problems within a week."

The Weekly Observer "The problem of ghost soldiers in the UPDF is complex and will not be solved by mere trials of the suspected perpetrators, Gen. Salim Saleh, a former Army Commander, stated in a 2004 minority report on ghost soldier creation. Saleh was part of the three-man High Command committee tasked to investigate ghost soldier creation in the army in 2003, alongside Defence Minister Amama Mbabazi and General David Tinyefuza. Their report, which has been widely reported about in the press, called for prosecution, dismissal and even possibly the death penalty for those found guilty of ghost soldier creation."

www.leadershipnigeria.com "Raked millions into his accounts The last may not have been heard about the many dirty transactions carried out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his cronies during his eight-year misrule of the country, as more revelations are emerging by the day. LEADERSHIP Weekend can authoritatively reveal that the former president, in his characteristic fraudulent manner, sold crude oil to the Jamaican government at the cheap price of $12 per barrel, even when the product was selling for about three times that amount on the international market. Using one Mr. Carl Masters, an associate of Goodworks International, Obasanjo appointed him as the oil liaison agent for the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ). Through him all the sales were made. Under this arrangement, it was discovered that Goodworks was to get 15 per cent of the total earnings from PCJ, while he (Obasanjo) would get 20 per cent through proxy companies acting as oil traders."

Pambazuka News : "Kenyans' call and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe during this difficult moment in their history The People of Kenya, individually and through various civil society organizations grouped under the National Civil society Congress and Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ), are deeply concerned by the pace at which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been announcing results from the elections. We applaud the people of Zimbabwe for being patient, yet very alert and vigilant to avoid the manipulation of results. We call on them to remain united, engage the state in a constructive manner, and avoid acts that violate the rights of any fellow citizen."

Pambazuka News : "As the world waits to see what will happen in Zimbabwe, Patrick Bond argues that lessons should be taught and retaught about the dangers of elite transition between a voracious, corrupt, violent and divisive set of rulers, and an incoming crew who might not withstand the blandishments of local power-sharing and global economic seduction."

Daily News : "A 12-year-old Pretoria boy's quick thinking in a pressure situation helped save two people's lives as well as his own. Matthew Swart and his friend Asanda Moya, 15, were making the most of the school holidays by swimming at Swart's home in Centurion when Moya found herself struggling to keep afloat at the deep end of the pool."

Daily News: "Zimbabwe's opposition today accused embattled President Robert Mugabe of wanting to rule the southern African country 'illegally' by extending the time-frame for an expected presidential run-off vote by more than two months. In an interview with South African radio, Movement for Democratic Change secretary-general Tendai Biti charged Mugabe with plotting to extend the run-off period to 90 days instead of a legally mandated 21."

zimbabwemetro.com : "The MDC is being arm twisted,Metro has learnt. A senior MDC official said “the ball is rolling” in persuading Mugabe to recognise defeat in the presidential election after negotiations with the security establishment and contacts with high levels of Zanu-PF. The source said the party was approached by senior Zanu-PF officials who said they were speaking for Mugabe and that he is prepared to resign if there are guarantees that he and senior aides would not be prosecuted."

The Zimbabwe Situation : "Zimbabwe's opposition said Saturday it feared Robert Mugabe was pushing for a presidential election run-off as part of a ploy to exact revenge and called for international intervention to avert bloodshed. 'For Mugabe, a run-off is a strategy for retribution,' the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) chief spokesman Nelson Chamisa told AFP. 'He is defeated, he wants a chance of retribution.'"

Ethiopia and the United States: A loveless liaison : "THE alliance between the United States and Ethiopia was born of pragmatism. In another time, they might have been enemies. Ethiopians do not like American soldiers tramping on their soil. Americans dislike Ethiopia's bad human-rights record. Local elections due this month are a case in point. Ethiopia's opposition, emasculated by the long imprisonment of its leaders (most of whom were pardoned last year) and weakened by its own divisions, will almost certainly be crushed in an unfair contest. “It's going to be a stitch-up,” says a Western diplomat. “Control is what this government is all about.”"

MoI says Ethiopia ever committed to fight terrorism as development goes on intensified : "The Ministry of Information said the government while making relentless efforts to succeed in its path of sustainable development will further enhance the successes being gained in its struggle against all groups who are bent on disrupting peace in the country. In its weekly statement on Friday, the Ministry also indicated that all countries committed to eliminate terrorism from the face of the earth are expected to jointly struggle against these insidious forces such as the Eritrean government that are openly providing assistance to terrorists."

Ethiopian Review : "Statement of the Oromo Liberation Front The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is prompted to issue this statement in response to the statement by the UN's News release, dated March 28, 2008. The News Release reports, among others, that, 'The deteriorating situation with regard to human health, food security, livelihoods, and livestock health, initially reported in Borne zone has spread to Bale, East Hararge, Guji and Liben zones of Oromia Region.".............

Daily News Egypt "CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) will not participate in the Ghazl Al Mahalla cotton workers’ strike scheduled for April 6, the group’s lawyer told Daily News Egypt. “The Brotherhood will not participate in the April 6 strike,” Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maqsoud said, also denying any knowledge of press reports claiming the group released a statement urging Egyptians to go on strike to attain their rights."

ZWNEWS.com "'Robert Mugabe has now become a bargaining chip' in this whole process. Those words, once unthinkable, were uttered by a one-time supporter of the ruling Zanu PF and now a member of one of the opposition parties in Zimbabwe. He was referring to the frenetic bargaining and deal-making that is apparently taking place in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, as politicians and the military top brass adjust to the post election political scene."

Zimbabwe's former guerrillas back Mugabe : "Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's aides debated his next move on Friday after he suffered the worst setback of his long rule and liberation war veterans accused the opposition of provocation for claiming election victory. The war veterans, a powerful force backing Mugabe, said victory claims by the Movement for Democratic Change, who won a parliamentary election and say they also defeated Mugabe in a presidential poll, were 'a provocation against us freedom fighters'."

The Punch "The Edo State Governor, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, has apologised to the Action Congress and its governorship candidate, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, for falsely accusing them of kidnapping the late Commissioner for Information, Mr. Calus Enoma."

The Punch: "President Umaru Yar’Adua has directed that all companies found guilty of importing adulterated fuel should be punished." The President’s Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that Yar’Adua, having vowed that his administration would not tolerate “a situation where Nigerians are cheated and exposed to the hazards of adulterated fuel, directed that companies found culpable must be severely punished.”

Almost a thousand people have been evicted from land leased to them by the Moroccan government in favour of construction companies. The new policies have been hugely controversial, as Al Jazeera's Jamal el-Shayyal reports.

What CNN is not saying is that the US has assisted in destabilizing the situation in Somalia under the pretense of making it better. There has been at least 4 US military attacks in Somalia. There is the financial and military backing of Ethiopia's presence in Somalia. There is the support of a transitional Somali government that had and has no chance of standing because the overall majority of the people do not support it.AFRISYNERGY http://www.youtube.com/user/westthea

IOL: "Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has admitted to his family and advisers that he has lost the most important election of his 28-year rule, South African financial daily Business Day reported on Thursday. Mugabe lost control of parliament for the first time since independence in 1980 and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said he had also been defeated in a presidential election last Saturday and should concede defeat."

Mail & Guardian Online : "Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's deafening silence after weekend elections has raised increasing speculation about the fate of a strongman who has never previously found himself lost for words. After a bruising campaign for the presidency in which he faced the toughest fight for his political survival, Mugabe declared on the polling day he was ready to romp to another victory to win a sixth uninterrupted term."

There is still no official word on who has won Zimbabwe's presidential election. Its also uncertain if there will be a runoff election. The vote is expected to be certified within 48 hours.

We look at the chance of a crisis if the country's election results are not resolved.

The Nation Newspaper "IN RECENT TIMES the fate of some Ghanaians left stranded here after the aircraft failed to return for them was brought to public attention. Barbadians responded somewhat grudgingly to their plight. On Tuesday, the Ghanaian Chronicle painted a different picture of this fiasco and in its editorial expressed concern about Government's decision to repatriate the 90 Ghanaians here. It also launched scathing attack on the tour operator."

IOL: "Harare - Zimbabwe's opposition claimed victory on Wednesday over Robert Mugabe in presidential elections, as official results showed the veteran leader's ruling party had lost its parliamentary majority. As state media predicted a run-off between Mugabe and his arch rival Morgan Tsvangirai, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition said its own calculations showed party leader Tsvangirai had passed the 50 percent threshold for outright victory."

The Standard "As the world waits with bated breath to see which way Zimbabwe will go after President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party lost majority seats in parliament, analysts were already drawing parallels with Kenya. Although the size of population in the two countries differs, they both have 210 constituencies. Like in Kenya, Zimbabweans voted for presidential, parliamentary and civic elections. And like Kenya, the release of results in Zimbabwe has dragged on for days, heightening tensions between ruling party and opposition supporters."

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE "WHAT was supposed to be a joyous occasion in Kano State on Monday turned into a tragedy when about 38 members of a bridal train drowned when the boat carrying them capsized on River Badau. The boat was also carrying the bride, Bilikisu, 18, when it sailed from Bagwai to Badau in Bagwai Local Government Area of the state, a distance of about four kilometres."

News24 : "Gaborone - Botswana's president steps down, handing over power in the kind of smooth transition for which the southern African country is known - one that contrasts sharply with the political turmoil in neighbouring Zimbabwe. On a continent, where leaders were all too often accused of holding on long past their mandate, Festus Mogae, 69, was stepping down even before the end of his second term - the last he was allowed under the constitution."

AngolaPress : "Angolan Prime minister Fernando da Piedade Dias do Santos Tuesday here expressed deep regret over the death of several people following the collapse, last Saturday at dawn, of the National Criminal Investigation Department (DNIC) headquarters. 'I express my solidarity with the mourning families and for this reason I address, on my behalf, of my family and of workers of my office, the most heart felt condolences and extend sincere solidarity', writes the Angolan Premier in a message delivered Tuesday to ANGOP."

7 ministers fall as opposition overturns Zanu PF's majority in parliament : "ZANU PF lost control of Zimbabwe’s parliament on Wednesday in the biggest power shift since the country won independence from Britain in 1980. Official figures showed the two rival Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions had won 105 seats in the 210 seat parliament, with one going to Professor Jonathan Moyo, an independent. Zanu PF was trailing on 94 with 10 more seats still at stake."

ZWNEWS.com "A behind-the-scenes negotiated settlement has averted a military coup in Zimbabwe and paved the way for a runoff between Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai later this month. According to multiple reliable sources, both within the armed forces and the opposition MDC, Tsvangirai has won 48 percent of the presidential vote, while the incumbent president has taken 43 percent."

zimbabwemetro.com : "The MDC has declared victory in the 2008 Presidential Election. 50.3 to 43.8 in favor of Morgan Tsvangirai Party Secretary-General Tendai Biti told a news conference that tallies based on totals posted outside polling stations showed MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had won 50.3 percent of the vote and Mugabe 43.8 percent"

Mail & Guardian Online : "Zimbabwe's opposition was in contact with senior military and intelligence officials on Tuesday night to persuade them to respect the results of the election as pressure grew on Robert Mugabe, the President, to recognise defeat. Sources in the opposition Movement for Democratic Change said the contacts were aimed at winning the security establishment's support or, at the least, ensuring it did not intervene to overturn what appeared to be a clear victory for Morgan Tsvangirai over Mugabe"

Secret Mugabe meeting ponders military move or fixed result - but not an : "A crisis meeting of Robert Mugabe's security cabinet decided to block the opposition from taking power after what appears to have been a comprehensive victory in Zimbabwe's elections but was divided between using a military takeover to annul the vote and falsifying the results.Diplomatic and Zimbabwean sources who heard first-hand accounts of the JointOperations Command meeting of senior military and intelligence officers and"

Nyasa Times : "Malawi Minister of Information and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati has disclosed that the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has completed preparations for the arrest and prosecution of former president Dr. Bakili Muluzi on corruption charges. Kaliati, at a news conference she held in Lilongwe said the former president would soon face prosecution and that ACB would soon pounce on him. 'The ACB is now closing in on him [Muluzi],' said Kaliati, adding, 'Who does he think he is?'"

The Post News online : "Judicial Police in Yaounde, yesterday March 31, arrested Polycarpe Abah Abah, Former Minister of the Economy and Finance, Urbain Olanguena Awono, Former Minister of Public Health, Luc Etogo Mbenzele, former Pay Master General at the Yaounde Central Treasury and Feuze Maurice former Permanent Secretary of the National Aids Control Committee."

Mugabe on brink : "HARARE - Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe is ready to step down after he accepted he failed to win the country's presidential election, a senior source in his ruling party and diplomats told AFP late yesterday. An official in Mugabe's Zanu-PF party said the long-ruling president was prepared to step down but was still trying to win agreement from the army's chief of staff Constantine Chiwenga. At the time of going to press, the BBC was reporting that Mugabe was set to go on television and address the nation later last night."

Monitor Online "MANY, apart from the Lords Resistance Army rebels, first thought it was a bad April 1 Fools’ day joke. But it wasn’t. Rebel Leader Joseph Kony yesterday for a second time, postponed the signing of the final peace agreement –planned for April 5. Citing logistical problems and ailments in their camp, the LRA announced yesterday they were pushing the signing of a Final Peace Agreement (FPA) with the government to April 10."

The Herald : "THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday released more election results with indications that Zanu-PF and the MDC Tsvangirai faction are headed for a tie in the House of Assembly poll while the pattern of results in the presidential election show that none of the candidates will garner more than 50 percent of the vote, forcing a re-run. ZEC had by 10pm last night released results of 160 House of Assembly constituencies with Zanu-PF and the MDC Tsvangirai faction continuing in a neck-and-neck contest."

Guardian Newspapers : "AT last, the Senate Committee on Health headed by Mrs. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has broken its silence over its role in the alleged sharing of the N300 million unspent 2007 budget of the Federal Ministry of Health. Although the panel admitted that it collected N10 million from the ministry to facilitate its members' retreat in Ghana between March 16 and 20, this year, it insisted that the money was not from the controversial unused budget."

Al Jazeera "Zimbabwe is continuing to wait for the results of its presidential election as an official count shows the opposition slightly ahead of the ruling party in the contest for parliament. Just over half of the results from the 210 constituencies have been declared, while the country's electoral commission has called on voters to remain patient."

IOL: "Harare - Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has taken 60 percent of votes so far in a presidential election, double the total for incumbent Robert Mugabe, his MDC party said on Monday, quoting unofficial tallies. 'From the 128 constituencies whose results we have calculated so far, we have 96 out of the 128 (parliamentary) seats and Morgan Tsvangirai is at 60 percent, Robert Mugabe is at 30 percent,' Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti told a news conference."

Nationmedia.com "Major political parties will be investigated on the role they might have played in last year’s General Election fiasco that precipitated an orgy of violence, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 people. And representatives of various political parties told the Nation Sunday that they will respond to any summons by the Kriegler Commission to help put to rest the controversy surrounding the election."

News24 : "Johannesburg - Four boys died after they were rescued from initiation schools in the Eastern Cape, the provincial Health Department said on Monday. Spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said in a joint on going operation which started on Friday, 87 boys were rescued from illegal initiation schools."

REPORT: In June 2006 Morocco signed an EU agreement which allows 119 European trawlers to fish in Moroccan waters. Some of the compensation for Moroccans has yet to be realized.

More than 70 mine workers are feared dead in Tanzania after the area they were mining flooded following heavy rains. The rescue effort, which has largely been left to colleagues of the trapped men, has been hampered by a lack of equipment. From Mererani in northeastern Tanzania, Yvonne Ndege reports for Al Jazeera.